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Donald Trump Calls Russia Intelligence Report a ‘Disgrace’ at First News Conference Since Election

President-elect Donald Trump confronted an unsubstantiated report that said Russia had compromising information about him, blaming the news media and intelligence agencies for the leak during his first press conference in about six months

President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday confronted an unsubstantiated report that said Russia had compromising information about him, calling it an “absolute disgrace” during the first news conference he has hosted in about six months.

Trump faced reporters at Trump Tower hours after attempting in a series of tweets to dispel a possibly damning and unverified report about Russia having personal and financial leverage over him.

“It’s a disgrace that information would be let out. I saw the information, I read the information outside of that meeting. It’s all fake news. It’s phony stuff,” he said.

Trump blamed the report on intelligence agencies and a few news organizations. News of the report was first broken by CNN Tuesday and Buzzfeed later released the report itself.

“I must say that I want to thank a lot of the news organizations today because they looked at that nonsense that was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, but maybe the intelligence agencies, which would be a tremendous blot on their record if they in fact did that. A thing like that should never have been written. It should never have been released.”

He denied that Russia had compromising information or videos that could be used to blackmail him, saying he’s “extremely careful” when visiting other countries or staying in hotels.

“[I]n those [hotel] rooms you have cameras in the strangest places,” Trump said. “You can’t see them and you won’t know. You better be careful or you’ll be watching yourself on nightly television. I tell this to people all the time. I was in Russia years ago with the Miss Universe contest … and I told many people, ‘Be careful because you don’t want to see yourself on television.’ Cameras all over the place. Not just Russia, but all over. Does anybody really believe that story? I’m also very much a germaphobe. Believe me.”

Trump also addressed reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered the hack of the Democratic National Committee in order to help the businessman win the presidency.

“If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset, not a liability,” Trump said. “Russia can help us fight ISIS. I don’t know that I’m going to get along with Vladimir Putin. I hope I do, but there’s a good chance I wont. And if I don’t, do you honestly believe Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Give me a break.”

Before the news conference, the incoming president blamed his “crooked opponents” for the now widely circulated report, which he called “fake news” and a “total political witch hunt” Wednesday morning, while again distancing himself from having ties to Russia.

“Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA – NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!” he wrote on Twitter. “Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to ‘leak’ into the public. One last shot at me. Are we living in Nazi Germany?”

At the press conference, Trump defended the Nazi Germany comparison.

“I think it was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information, that turned out to be so false and fake, out,” he said. “I think it’s a disgrace and I say that … and that’s something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. Information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public, as far as Buzzfeed—which is a failing pile of garbage—writing it, I think they are going to suffer the consequences. They already are.”

Trump announced last Tuesday that he would hold the “general” news conference in New York City, before the latest allegations involving Russia surfaced in the public.

He was expected to face questions about how he will separate himself from his business ties and about intelligence information that says Russia meddled in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help get him elected.

Source: Time Magazine:

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