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McConnell Backs Investigation Into Russian Hacking. McCain Calls It ‘Warfare.’ Trump Denies. McCain Calls Russian Interference ‘Warfare’ (While Trump Denies It)
(about 2 hours later)
■ Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, backs an investigation into Russian efforts to influence the election, as President-elect Donald J. Trump takes to Twitter to deny Russian involvement. ■ President-elect Donald J. Trump takes to Twitter to deny Russian involvement in his election victory.
■ Senator John McCain says there is no doubt about Russian hacking, which he called “warfare.”■ Senator John McCain says there is no doubt about Russian hacking, which he called “warfare.”
■ Mr. Trump formally names John F. Kelly, a retired Marine general, as secretary of homeland security. ■ Carly Fiorina for director of national intelligence? She certainly took Mr. Trump’s line on China.
■ Carly Fiorina for director of national intelligence? Rick Perry for energy secretary?
Mr. McConnell, a senator from Kentucky, backed an investigation on Monday into United States intelligence conclusions that Russia tried to get Mr. Trump elected through tampering and hacking.
Mr. McConnell faced bipartisan pressure, led by Senator McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida.
And Mr. McConnell talked tough.
“The Russians are not our friends,” he said.
Mr. McConnell said he wanted the Senate Intelligence Committee to lead the efforts. Senator Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina and a vocal supporter of Mr. Trump’s, is that committee’s chairman. But Mr. McConnell welcomed the involvement of Mr. McCain, who is pressing for an investigation of his own.
With evidence mounting that Russian intelligence promoted his election, the president-elect continued his denial, via Twitter.With evidence mounting that Russian intelligence promoted his election, the president-elect continued his denial, via Twitter.
That second tweet is a head scratcher. The United States government formally accused Russia of trying to sow discord in the democratic process through its hacking in early October. It stopped short of saying the goal was to elect Mr. Trump.That second tweet is a head scratcher. The United States government formally accused Russia of trying to sow discord in the democratic process through its hacking in early October. It stopped short of saying the goal was to elect Mr. Trump.
And forensic analysis does allow experts to trace the source of a hack.And forensic analysis does allow experts to trace the source of a hack.
Oh, and fresh off his shot at Boeing over the cost of an Air Force One upgrade, Mr. Trump took a jab at another expensive military program, the F-35 stealth fighter.Oh, and fresh off his shot at Boeing over the cost of an Air Force One upgrade, Mr. Trump took a jab at another expensive military program, the F-35 stealth fighter.
On that one, he will have bipartisan support — just not in congressional districts where the fighter is built.On that one, he will have bipartisan support — just not in congressional districts where the fighter is built.
Mr. McCain said on Monday that there was “no doubt about the hacking” by Russian intelligence services into Democratic campaign accounts, which he called “another form of warfare.”Mr. McCain said on Monday that there was “no doubt about the hacking” by Russian intelligence services into Democratic campaign accounts, which he called “another form of warfare.”
Appearing on “CBS This Morning” with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the next minority leader, Mr. McCain said the wide-ranging investigation of Russian meddling in the election would include his committee as well as the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.Appearing on “CBS This Morning” with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the next minority leader, Mr. McCain said the wide-ranging investigation of Russian meddling in the election would include his committee as well as the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees.
He said a Senate investigation would be necessary despite President Obama having already ordered up an inquiry, as that one would not be completed before the end of the Obama administration. The implication was that the new Trump administration would not follow through.He said a Senate investigation would be necessary despite President Obama having already ordered up an inquiry, as that one would not be completed before the end of the Obama administration. The implication was that the new Trump administration would not follow through.
“We don’t want to point a finger, and I don’t want this to turn into the Benghazi investigation,” Mr. Schumer added, referring to the House investigation into the attacks on an American compound in Libya, which he said had been partisan. “This is serious stuff.”“We don’t want to point a finger, and I don’t want this to turn into the Benghazi investigation,” Mr. Schumer added, referring to the House investigation into the attacks on an American compound in Libya, which he said had been partisan. “This is serious stuff.”
President-elect Donald J. Trump has repeatedly said he does not believe the Russians were behind the hacking, much less tried to help him become president.President-elect Donald J. Trump has repeatedly said he does not believe the Russians were behind the hacking, much less tried to help him become president.
One week before the Electoral College meets to ratify Mr. Trump’s election victory, 10 electors — including a Texas Republican who has turned on Mr. Trump and Christine Pelosi, the daughter of Representative Nancy Pelosi — have demanded their own intelligence briefing on Russian efforts to elect Mr. Trump.
Their request:
Ms. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, emerged from a meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower on Monday to talk tough, not on Russia but on China, which she called “our most important adversary and a rising adversary.”
Ms. Fiorina was called in to discuss the job of director of national intelligence, a senior transition official said.
And Ms. Fiorina, once a bitter foe of Mr. Trump’s was effusive.
“We talked about hacking, whether it’s Chinese hacking or purported Russian hacking,” she said. “We talked about the opportunity that the president-elect has to literally reset things, to reset the trajectory of this economy, to reset the role of government, to reset america’s role in the world and how we’re perceived in the world. And I think it’s why he’s getting such fantastic people in his administration.”
Mr. Trump and Ms. Fiorina clashed bitterly when she ran against him for the Republican nomination. Mr. Trump denigrated her appearance last year in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “Look at that face!” Ms. Fiorina briefly agreed to be Senator Ted Cruz’s vice-presidential running mate before he, too, was vanquished by the eventual nominee.
All appears to be forgiven.
“First I want to say, he has really cool stuff in his office,” she said. “All of these athletes have given him all this incredible memorabilia. I was particular taken by Shaq O’Neal’s shoe, which is huge. I guess it takes a champion to know a champion.”
Three days ago, an image calling for the extermination of Muslims was posted on former Representative Allen West’s Facebook page.
The outrage prompted an aide to Mr. West, a former Army lieutenant colonel, to claim credit and take the image down.
The outrage wasn’t too great to deny Mr. West another audience with the president-elect on Monday at Trump Tower. Nor was it enough to prompt a question from the reporters in the Trump Tower lobby, though they did ask Mr. West about Russian efforts to elect Mr. Trump president.
Reporters: Should there be a bipartisan investigation of Russia hacking?
Mr. West: “I think there are more important things. We’re about to see a collapse in Syria, Iraq is falling apart. the Iran nuclear deal is horrific. China and Russia are expanding. I think that’s where we need to focus your intelligence efforts.”
No surprise here, but Mr. Trump formally selected the retired Gen. John F. Kelly of the Marines to be his secretary of homeland security on Monday.No surprise here, but Mr. Trump formally selected the retired Gen. John F. Kelly of the Marines to be his secretary of homeland security on Monday.
General Kelly would have the delicate job of seeing through Mr. Trump’s campaign promises of building a wall on the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants — or not, depending on what a President Trump and Congress actually want.General Kelly would have the delicate job of seeing through Mr. Trump’s campaign promises of building a wall on the border with Mexico and deporting millions of illegal immigrants — or not, depending on what a President Trump and Congress actually want.
No doubt thankfully, he would not have the job of making Mexico pay for said wall.No doubt thankfully, he would not have the job of making Mexico pay for said wall.
On Friday night, Mr. Trump’s transition team insulted the American intelligence community by saying that officers had misrepresented the threat of weapons of mass destruction ahead of the Iraq War, meaning that they should not be trusted with their conclusion of Russian meddling in the presidential election.
In a new twist, Mr. Trump will meet on Monday with Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, to discuss the job of director of national intelligence, a senior transition official said.
Mr. Trump and Ms. Fiorina do not have the warmest of relationships. They clashed bitterly when she ran against him for the Republican nomination. And Mr. Trump denigrated her appearance last year in an interview with Rolling Stone, saying, “Look at that face!”
Speaking of roles, the former Texas governor, Rick Perry, who wanted to eliminate the Department of Energy but could not remember its name on live television, has emerged as a leading candidate for energy secretary.Speaking of roles, the former Texas governor, Rick Perry, who wanted to eliminate the Department of Energy but could not remember its name on live television, has emerged as a leading candidate for energy secretary.
Although Texas is rich in energy and Mr. Perry is big on extracting it, he cannot afford too many “oops moments” if he is named to that post. The Energy Department’s primary role is to design nuclear weapons and ensure the safety and reliability of the nation’s aging nuclear arsenal — through a constellation of scientific laboratories. The two men who served as President Obama’s energy secretaries were scientists, one with a Nobel Prize, the other from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Although Texas is rich in energy and Mr. Perry is big on extracting it, he cannot afford too many “oops moments” if he is named to that post.
The Energy Department’s primary role is to design nuclear weapons and ensure the safety and reliability of the nation’s aging nuclear arsenal — through a constellation of scientific laboratories. The two men who served as President Obama’s energy secretaries were scientists, one with a Nobel Prize, the other from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.