Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:45 pm
President-Elect Donald Trump issued an official statement on Thursday after the Obama administration announced harsh retaliatory measures against Russia for its hacking of the 2016 election.
Despite both parties joining hands to strongly condemn Russia’s interference and support President Obama’s tough actions, Trump’s response was short and weak – and it didn’t even explicitly mention the Russian cyberattack.
The full statement:
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It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things. Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.
It’s clear that Trump cares very little about Russia’s attack on the U.S. – probably because it helped put him in the White House – but he also isn’t even bothering to get “updated on the facts” until next week.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration and members of both political parties are treating the matter with the seriousness that it deserves.
As the New York Times noted Thursday, Obama’s counter-punch represents the strongest ever U.S. response to a state-sponsored cyber attack. The administration ordered 35 Russian intelligence diplomats to leave the country and imposed harsh sanctions on two Russian intelligence services and four top officers.
Trump’s statement on Thursday suggests that holding Russia accountable for its unprecedented election meddling isn’t that high on his list of priorities. His response echoes his earlier statement on Wednesday from his Mar-a-Lago hideout, when he said it’s “time for our country to move on.”
Starting Jan. 20, we will have an American president that will be a dream come true for Vladimir Putin – a man who will simply “move on” when our country comes under attack from a foreign government.
Until then, President Obama is reminding the Russian government that, at least until next month, he’s still president and they will face harsh consequences.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
