Trump: It’s an ‘Asset’ If Putin Likes Me

Says He Now Believes Russia Hacked DNC

by Jason Ditz, 

Rejecting allegations of lurid sex parties in Russian cities, President-elect Donald Trump for the first time insisted today that he believes it was Russia who was responsible for hacking the DNC during the election campaign. Trump had long expressed doubts over this, citing lack of evidence.

Trump did, however, expressed doubts that Russia had mounted a campaign to gather dirt on him, and after being accused of being a Russian “asset” said he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin likes him, calling that a potential “asset” given the current US-Russia relationship, which he described as “horrible.”

Trump had agreed to “normalize” US-Russia relations shortly after his election, but he appears to have backed away from that, now saying that he believes “there’s a good chance” he and Putin won’t actually get along, saying it was not a given they’d get on well with one another.

Trump’s move away from normalization, and his sudden willingness to blame Russia for the DNC hacking, comes as his secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, publicly endorses Obama’s sanctions against Russia, and appeared to advocate a hard-line position against them.