GOP congressman defends Russian hacking: 'They merely did what the media should've done'

During an interview Friday on MSNBC, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) refused to condemn Russia's apparent meddling in the U.S. presidential election, instead suggesting the cyber attacks on Democratic organizations and officials may have actually been useful. "If Russia succeeded in giving the American people information that was accurate, then they merely did what the media should have done," said Franks, a member of the Armed Services Committee.

Franks insisted he's "all for doing what's necessary to protect" the American election process, but he pointed out that it's not like Russia hacked into U.S. voting systems. "They, if anything ... [tried] to use information in a way that may have affected something that they believed was in their best interest," Franks said, referring to the FBI and the CIA's findings that Russia interfered to help Donald Trump.

Watch Franks' explanation in the interview below. Becca Stanek

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up