Donald Trump DENIES being told U.S. intelligence believes Russia is seeking to boost Bernie Sanders in the primary and says he hopes Democrats treat surging presidential rival ‘fairly’
President Donald Trump has denied getting told by to intelligence officials that Russia is intervening in the 2020 primaries and – following an explosive report about a Capitol briefing on Russia’s intentions.
‘Nobody said it to me at all,’ Trump told reporters at the White House Sunday as he departed for a trip to India, asked if he has been briefed that Russia is trying to help Sanders.
Trump also blasted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, who served as the lead House impeachment manager and whose committee got a briefing with a top intelligence official that led Trump to dress down outgoing Director of Intelligence Joseph Maguire.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., before his departure to India, February 23, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
‘They ought to investigate Adam Schiff for leaking that intelligence,’ Trump said.
Trump’s comments were echoed by Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, who told ‘Fox News Sunday’: ‘The intelligence community has not told us that Russia is trying to elect Donald trump.’
But he also confirmed that Trump blasted MaGuire over the briefing with the Intelligence Committee, where an aide to Maguire told lawmakers during questioning that Russia intended to interfere in primaries, according to the New York Times.
Said Short: ‘The president did question because he said, ‘Why did they get a briefing before I did?” said Short.
Trump congratulated Sanders on his big win in the Nevada caucuses.
‘I hope they treat him fairly,’ Trumps said. ‘I hope it’s not going to be a rigged deal because there’s a lot of bad things going on,’ he said, without explanation.