Russia and Putin · 2016 campaign · № 19
Two days after U.S. agencies blamed Moscow, said 'maybe there is no hacking' and broke with Pence on Syria
“But I notice, anytime anything wrong happens, they like to say the Russians are—she doesn't know if it's the Russians doing the hacking. Maybe there is no hacking. But they always blame Russia. And the reason they blame Russia because they think they're trying to tarnish me with Russia.”
- Said
- , Second presidential debate, Washington University in St. Louis
- Subject
- Hacking, second debate
- Type
- Intelligence and security
- Topic
- Elections
- Era
- 2016 campaign
What happened
The debate came two days after the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence stated that the intelligence community was 'confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails' and that the disclosures 'are intended to interfere with the US election process'. Trump also said 'I don't know Putin', 'I know nothing about Russia' and 'I have no loans from Russia'. On Syria, moderator Martha Raddatz reminded him that his running mate Mike Pence had said provocations by Russia should be met with American strength and that the United States should be prepared to strike the Assad regime's military targets; Trump answered, 'He and I haven't spoken, and I disagree. I disagree,' adding that 'Syria is fighting ISIS' and 'Russia is killing ISIS'.