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| Gates: US ‘somewhat laid back’ over Russian election interference | Gates: US ‘somewhat laid back’ over Russian election interference |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former defense secretary Robert Gates has criticised the Obama administration and congressional leaders of both parties for a “somewhat laid back” response to Russian interference in the presidential election. | The former defense secretary Robert Gates has criticised the Obama administration and congressional leaders of both parties for a “somewhat laid back” response to Russian interference in the presidential election. |
| In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press to be broadcast on Sunday, Gates said: “Given the unprecedented nature of it and the magnitude of the effort, I think people seem to have been somewhat laid back about it.” | In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press to be broadcast on Sunday, Gates said: “Given the unprecedented nature of it and the magnitude of the effort, I think people seem to have been somewhat laid back about it.” |
| The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies agree that Russia sought to influence the election in favor of the Republican candidate and eventual victor, Donald Trump. This week, the White House said it believed President Vladimir Putin played a direct role. | The CIA, FBI and other intelligence agencies agree that Russia sought to influence the election in favor of the Republican candidate and eventual victor, Donald Trump. This week, the White House said it believed President Vladimir Putin played a direct role. |
| Trump has rejected and ridiculed such assertions – as has the Russian government. Barack Obama has ordered a review of all relevant intelligence information. | Trump has rejected and ridiculed such assertions – as has the Russian government. Barack Obama has ordered a review of all relevant intelligence information. |
| On Friday, Obama told a press conference his administration had not acted on evidence of Russian interference during the election because it did not want to appear partisan. It has been reported that the White House expected Hillary Clinton to win. | On Friday, Obama told a press conference his administration had not acted on evidence of Russian interference during the election because it did not want to appear partisan. It has been reported that the White House expected Hillary Clinton to win. |
| Obama also said he told Putin to “cut it out” – a demand made a month before the first release of hacked Democratic party emails by WikiLeaks – and has promised unspecified retaliation. | |
| Gates was asked by Meet the Press host Chuck Todd if the White House, congressional leaders of both parties and Trump himself had shown enough urgency on the issue of Russian interference in the election. | Gates was asked by Meet the Press host Chuck Todd if the White House, congressional leaders of both parties and Trump himself had shown enough urgency on the issue of Russian interference in the election. |
| He answered: “No.” | He answered: “No.” |
| He added: “Maybe part of the problem was that it took the intelligence community a while to assemble really firm evidence of Russian involvement and Russian government involvement that delayed a response. | He added: “Maybe part of the problem was that it took the intelligence community a while to assemble really firm evidence of Russian involvement and Russian government involvement that delayed a response. |
| “Attribution is a challenge but it seems pretty clear to me that they’ve developed really reliable information that the Russian government was involved.” | “Attribution is a challenge but it seems pretty clear to me that they’ve developed really reliable information that the Russian government was involved.” |
| US intelligence agencies believe Russian or Russian-sponsored actions included the hack of emails belonging to figures from the Democratic National Committee and other party bodies, which were released by WikiLeaks and covered extensively in the media, leading in some cases to resignations. | US intelligence agencies believe Russian or Russian-sponsored actions included the hack of emails belonging to figures from the Democratic National Committee and other party bodies, which were released by WikiLeaks and covered extensively in the media, leading in some cases to resignations. |
| Gates told NBC Russia had carried out “a thinly disguised, covert operation intended to discredit the American election and to basically allow the Russians to communicate to the rest of the world that our elections are corrupt, incompetent, rigged, whatever and therefore no more honest than anybody else’s in the world, including theirs”. | |
| Putin had acted, said Gates, repeating criticisms of the gap between Obama’s “rhetoric” and action on foreign policy, after seeing “the United States withdrawing from around the world”. | |
| John McCain, a member of the Senate intelligence committee, was sarcastic in an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, saying: “I’m sure that when Vladimir Putin was told to ‘çut it out’ he immediately stopped all cyberwarfare activity.” | |
| Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman who will be chief of staff in the Trump White House, has said his organization was not hacked. | Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman who will be chief of staff in the Trump White House, has said his organization was not hacked. |
| In July, Trump suggested at a campaign rally that Russia should hack his opponent, Clinton, and reveal the whereabouts of 30,000 “missing” emails from the private server she used while secretary of state under Obama. | In July, Trump suggested at a campaign rally that Russia should hack his opponent, Clinton, and reveal the whereabouts of 30,000 “missing” emails from the private server she used while secretary of state under Obama. |
| The electoral college, in which Trump beat Clinton 306-232 despite losing the popular vote by more than 2.8m ballots, meets to confirm the president on Monday. Prospects of a revolt by sufficient Republican electors to send the choice to the House of Representatives are slim. | The electoral college, in which Trump beat Clinton 306-232 despite losing the popular vote by more than 2.8m ballots, meets to confirm the president on Monday. Prospects of a revolt by sufficient Republican electors to send the choice to the House of Representatives are slim. |