Outgoing chairman of the Republican National Committee on Sunday furiously attacked the reports that the RNC was hacked by Russia – and insisted President-elect Donald Trump isn't assailing U.S. intelligence that found Moscow was meddling in the election.
In a heated exchange with NBC News' "Meet The Press" moderator Chuck Todd, Reince Priebus, now Trump's chief of staff, lashed out at a New York Times report that the RNC was hacked – declaring it was simply not true.
"The [Democratic National Committee] was hacked," he said. "We called the FBI and they came in to help us. They came in to review what we were doing and went through every single thing that we did. We went through this for a month. We were not hacked… that is absolutely not true."
Pressed on whether anyone associated with the RNC was hacked, Priebus barked back: "I don't know why you are so hot about this," to which Todd replied: "It's not about me."
Priebus then reiterated his declaration the RNC was not compromised, and that the article mentioned nothing about any affiliates of the RNC being hacked.
"Don't be defensive with me…," he scolded Todd, blaming the Times article for creating "this this entire firestorm," and adding: "the specific fact as we have been told by the FBI repeatedly, including two days ago when we checked back with them about this issue, repeated the fact that the RNC was not hacked."
"Why would the press run with something that wasn't true?" Priebus asked.
When Todd tried to question Priebus on the Washington Post's report that the CIA found that Russia was meddling in the U.S. election, Priebus deflected, returning to the inaccuracy that the RNC was hacked
"My question is not about the RNC," Todd pressed. "Reince, no, no, no. My question is about whether or not Russia tried to infiltrate the — our election in some way, shape or form. The hacking of the DNC, the hacking of [Hillary Clinton campaign chairman] John Podesta."
But Priebus returned to the Times article, demanding "what source are you using to be so adamant to get a response from me on something that doesn't have a source to it? What's your source?" he fumed.
"What you are saying is, until the CIA comes out and produces somebody on the record, you are going to dispute this the entire time? " Todd asked.
"No, I'm not,"Priebus answered. "I don't know whether it's true or not…"
Todd then replied: "Let's clear this up" about Russian meddling.
But Priebus said there's no proof of such meddling, but that Trump "does want to know" the answer to that question.
"There's going to be an investigation," Priebus said – though he immediately added: "I don't know what investigations he wants. We do want to know. What I don't want to do is have a debate with you over an unnamed source that the article said was inconclusive over who hacked and why they hacked. Someone hacked. We don't like that. … That's my point."
"The point is.. we need to find out more facts about this situation," Priebus concluded. "Then we can make intelligence decisions. You and I can have more intelligent conversation about what to do about it."
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