Straight from the horse's mouth: Trump accepts Russian hacking

Washington: President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks aimed at disrupting the presidential election and may take actions in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday.

Reince Priebus, the former Republican National Committee chairman, said Mr Trump understands that Moscow was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organisations. “He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia so that’s not the issue,” Priebus said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Mr Priebus’ comments marked a major shift. Mr Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims that the Russians were trying to help him, arguing that those charges are the product of his political opponents trying to undermine his victory.

It was the first acknowledgement from a senior member of the President-elect’s team that Mr Trump has accepted that Moscow was involved in the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election.

In a statement on Friday after receiving his intelligence briefing, Mr Trump did not refer specifically to Russia’s role in the presidential campaign.

Mr Priebus said Mr Trump plans to order the intelligence community to make recommendations as to what should be done. Depending on those recommendations, “actions may be taken,” he said. He did not elaborate.

The top Republican and Democrat on the US House of Representatives Intelligence Committee on Sunday cast doubt on whether Russia can become an ally of the United States, an idea Mr Trump has embraced.

Republican Devin Nunes, chairman of the committee, said on Fox News Sunday he would like to see a US-Russia friendship but does not know if it is possible.

Adam Schiff, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said on CNN it would be great if Russia could be an ally, but, “It’s not realistic and we need to be clear eyed and sober about just what the Russians are about.”

Mr Trump had condemned Russia critics on Saturday, calling those who oppose better relations with Moscow “stupid” people and “fools” in his latest Twitter tirade.

“Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing,” he tweeted on Saturday. “Only ‘stupid’ people, or fools, would think that it is bad! When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now,” he said.