Asked to definitively say whether he believes Russia meddled in the U.S. elections, Donald Trump turned the spotlight on his predecessor, President Barack Obama, and asked why he did nothing about it when he received classified information that Russians were hacking the U.S.
Trump then went on to repeat a statement that contradicts information provided by every major U.S. intelligence agency, refusing to denounce Russia for its hacking efforts and attempting to throw doubt on the fact that it was Russia at all.
Said Trump:
“I think it was Russia but I think it was probably other people and/or countries, and I see nothing wrong with that statement. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure….It was Russia and I think it was probably others also and that’s been going on for a long period of time.”
In a speech, Trump added: “The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive…Do we have the confidence in our values to defend them at any cost? Do we have enough respect for our citizens to protect our borders? Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?”
