Trump Expresses ‘Healthy Skepticism’ About Russian Hacking Allegations

Assange also will say that President Barack Obama is ‘trying to delegitimize the Trump administration’.

Before releasing emails relating to the Clinton campaign, Assange in 2010 obtained and released confidential files pertaining to the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We published several…emails which show Podesta responding to a phishing email”, said Mr Assange. “Very unusual!” Trump said.

“The American people owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of men and women each and every day who get up and ensure that we have the information to ensure a day like that never happens again in America”, Pence said at the time.

Kirby said there was “no question” about Russia’s effort to “sow doubt and confusion, and getting involved through the cyber domain, into our electoral process …”

The Republican’s statements were slammed by many online, who questioned why Trump was accepting the word of a whistleblower taking asylum at the Ecuadorean Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden over a rape accusation.

He argued the Democrat National Convention (DNC) did not have a “hacking defence” and questioned why the Democratic Party had not responded “to the awful things they did and said”.

“A total double standard!” In a tweet a half-hour later, Trump described media coverage about the issue as “more dishonest than anyone knows”.

He also emphasized the ease with which John Podesta’s emails could have been hacked, given how open he has been with his password information. Because the DNC … no longer represented the genuine interests of the Democratic party. “So the answer – for our interactions – is no”, Assange said when asked in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity if Russian Federation had provided the information.

Obama responded to Russian Federation last week with a set of sanctions targeting the country’s leading spy agencies and the expulsion of 35 “intelligence operatives”.

Moscow has repeatedly denied any role in cyberattacks.

The Russian personnel were accused of “acting in a manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status” – a euphemism for spying.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange defended his repeated claim that Russian Federation is not the source of hacked emails.

“Our publications had wide uptake by the American people, they’re all true”, Assange continued.

The fresh clash came as Mr Trump took further steps to fill his cabinet and key White House positions, with his attention shifting towards the challenges of governing.

‘So, why such a dramatic response?

The FBI and Central Intelligence Agency are in agreement that Russian Federation intervened in the election to help Trump win the White House.