Following intelligence briefing, Trump clarifies Russian hacking had 'absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election'
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President-elect Donald Trump met with the heads of the CIA and FBI and the director of national intelligence on Friday to discuss a 50-page classified report about the Russian hacking last year, which Trump had accused of being a "political witch hunt" earlier on Friday. Trump has long been dismissive of reports pinning the hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton's campaign chair John Podesta on Russia, but he called the meeting "constructive" in a statement:
"While Russia, China, and other countries and outside groups are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses, and organizations … there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines," Trump said, leaving it unclear if he now firmly agrees that Russia was behind the attack.
Trump added that he plans to "appoint a team to give me a plan [to combat cyberattacks] within 90 days of taking office," but that "the methods, tools, and tactics … should not be a public discussion."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
