Here we go. President-elect Donald Trump apparently tuned in to FOX News Tuesday night for Sean Hannity’s sit down with Wikileaks chief Julian Assange, who appears to be emerging as a surprising ally of some conservatives in Washington.
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that Assange backs up his own suspicions over the U.S. government and a variety of independent cybersecurity firms’ assessment that Russia was behind the hacks on the Democratic National Congress, writing, “Julian Assange said ‘a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta’ – why was DNC so careless? Also said Russians did not give him the info!”
More tweets, more doubts.
The tweet comes after Trump’s missive late Tuesday that the intel briefing he was scheduled to receive on the hacks had been moved to later this week: “The “Intelligence” briefing on so-called “Russian hacking” was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!”
But senior administration officials tell the New York Times that no meeting had been scheduled for Tuesday. Trump had previously said he might reveal “things that other people don’t know” about the hacking, but has provided no evidence to back up his doubts about the intel community’s conclusions.
His latest 140-character assaults on U.S. government agencies comes as F.B.I. director, James Comey, and director of national intelligence, James Clapper were preparing to travel to New York on Friday to brief him about their findings. “The decision by Mr. Comey and Mr. Clapper to brief Mr. Trump in person appears to be an effort to show him how seriously they take their conclusions that the Russian government was behind the hacking of Democratic officials before the election,” the Times notes.
Not helping
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) fanned the flames of the budding war between the President-elect and the intelligence community, telling MSNBC Tuesday night that Trump is being “really dumb” for picking a fight with the intel pros, warning they “have six ways from Sunday at getting back at you.”
To the Hill.
Trump’s pick to become the next defense secretary, retired Marine General James Mattis, is making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, and had some interesting things to say to Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the Democrat from Connecticut on Tuesday.
Blumenthal hinted that Mattis might not share the same views as Trump when it comes to the F-35 program, and the lawmaker said he was “encouraged by his clear commitment” to the “important role of the F-35 program in sustaining and enhancing it.” Trump has tweeted about the program, demanding that Lockheed Martin bring the costs down while asking Boeing “to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet,” an older jet that would be hugely expensive to bring up to speed with the F-35.
The two also talked about cyber attacks, “particularly by the Russians,” Blumenthal said, but wouldn’t provide any details. The senator did say that he believes Mattis “could provide a sense of balance and stability” in the Trump administration.
More meets.
Mattis also sat down with Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, and has planned visits with two other panel members Wednesday and Thursday: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). The New York senator is the only Democrat who has come out against Mattis, saying in a statement that she will not vote for an exception to the rule of civilian control of the military, as it is “a fundamental principle of American democracy.” The Senate would have to change existing law to allow Mattis to serve, since he has not been out of the military for the required seven years.
So long.
On Wednesday morning, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will sit down with the Pentagon’s global Combatant Commanders and Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Cabinet Room for the final time of their administration, followed by a trip out to Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall, where they’ll participate in the Armed Forces Full Honor Review Farewell Ceremony.
Source: foreignpolicy.com