Trump Responds to Cyberattack Allegations from Russia: Must First Achieve Full Assurance

The elected President of the United States has once again reacted to allegations made by the government and intelligence agencies regarding Russian cyberattacks on the U.S. and his election campaign. He stated, "I want them to be completely assured about this matter." On January 1, during a press conference in Florida, Donald Trump commented on the allegations from U.S. intelligence agencies regarding Russian cyberattacks, saying, "I want them to be assured because these allegations are very serious." He referenced the allegations made during George W. Bush's administration about 'weapons of mass destruction in Iraq'—which ultimately led to the invasion of that country—saying, "If you look at the [case of] weapons of mass destruction, you see that [the outcome] was catastrophic and they were wrong. Therefore, I want them [in this case] to be completely assured." According to Reuters, ABC, and The Hill website, the elected President of the United States added, "I think if they are not sure, (making these allegations) is not fair. And I know a lot about hacking. Hacking is very hard to trace. So it could be someone else's work." Trump further stated, "Moreover, I know things that our people do not know, so it cannot be certain." According to Reuters, in response to the information he mentioned, he stated, "You will be informed on Tuesday or Wednesday." The elected President of the United States did not provide further details. The U.S. government has recently taken actions against what it calls 'cyber interference' by Russia in the U.S. election campaign, including expelling several Russian diplomats, imposing new sanctions, or closing two Russian buildings in New York and Maryland. Some Republican lawmakers in the U.S. have supported these actions. The Democratic government of the U.S. and some Republican lawmakers claim that 'Russian cyber interference' benefited Trump and harmed his opponent, Hillary Clinton. The Russian government has consistently denied allegations of conducting cyberattacks and virtual interference in the U.S. election process. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, stated, "Democrats, who have lost on all fronts, are trying to find culprits elsewhere." Donald Trump had previously described the issue of cyber interference as a Democratic distraction to justify their electoral defeat. He has also stated that he does not believe the reports from U.S. intelligence agencies. The 45th President of the United States will take office on January 20, in 20 days. In this context, Trump introduced his counter-terrorism advisor.