Two Weeks Before Being Sworn in as President, and Two Hours Before Seeing a Classified Report on Russian Hacking, Trump Has Decided to Launch His Own Political Witch Hunt
Donald Trump has made very clear he has no interest in the findings, conclusions, or reports created by almost anyone within the intelligence community of the federal government. Just three hours before he was scheduled to be briefed by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on the classified 50+ page report said to prove without question that Russia hacked the DNC, Clinton campaign chair John Podesta’s emails, reportedly the RNC and the White House, and intervened in the American election to help defeat Hillary Clinton, Trump told The New York Times the focus on Russian hacking is a “political witch hunt” against him by his “embarrassed” adversaries.
But Thursday night a furious Donald Trump took to Twitter to claim – and complain – that NBC News obtained an advance copy of an intelligence report, presumably the same, declassified report on Russian hacking, that likely will be released Friday afternoon.
And just hours after calling the focus on Russia’s hacking in the U.S. A “political witch hunt,” the president-elected decided to start one of his own.
First Amendment advocates should shutter to hear, but, via Twitter, Trump announced he is demanding Congress investigate how NBC News was able to obtain details of the intelligence report on Russian hacking:
Note that one of his concerns is that NBC News got a copy “prior to me seeing it.”
Of course, it’s common for members of the press to receive advance information so they can be prepared to write about reports like this. It’s also not uncommon for politicians in Congress or in government agencies, or in the White House, to leak information or reports to help shape public opinion or get information out without having to explain why.
Trump’s transition team certainly appears to have engaged in leaking names of possible candidates for top administration posts to gauge public reaction.
But Donald Trump, two weeks before being sworn in as president, and two hours before seeing a classified report on Russian hacking, has decided to launch his own political witch hunt.
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