Trump Says Obama 'Did Nothing' About Russian Hacking Because He Thought Clinton Would Win

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Donald Trump said Thursday that “nobody knows” whether Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election, but also that former President Obama knew about efforts to hijack the race and did “nothing” because he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win.

Appearing in a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, a reporter asked Trump to give a “yes or no” answer about whether the Kremlin interfered with the 2016 race, Politico Europe reported.

“Well, I think it was Russia and I think it could have been other people in other countries, could have been a lot of people interfered,” Trump responded. “I’ve said it very simply: I think it very well could have been Russia, but I think it could well have been other countries.”

The president went on to say he “[has] to mention” that Obama found out about “this, in terms of, if it were Russia” back in August but chose not to act.

“That’s a lot of time. He did nothing about it,” Trump said. “They say he choked. I don’t think he choked. I think what happened was he thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the election, and he chose not to do anything about it. If he thought I was going to win, he would have done something about it.”

The presser comes the day before Trump is slated to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, so it’s certain the two leaders will have plenty to talk about.

WHAT ELSE?

• California Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to announce a global “climate action” summit in San Francisco this evening as Trump finalizes a statement on withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Brown and others said they would take up the mantle on combatting climate change internationally if Trump left the agreement.
• Three weeks after a shooting at a practice for the congressional Republicans’ baseball team, Majority Whip Steve Scalise was readmitted to the the intensive care unit last night over “new concerns for infection.”
• Seven protesters were arrested at a march to mark the one-year anniversary of Alton Sterling’s fatal shooting by police in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.