President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. should move on rather than retaliate against Russia for interfering in the 2016 election, with the Obama administration expected to soon take action against Moscow.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian government orchestrated cyber attacks against the Democratic National Committee and other American political groups and then leaked information to interfere in the Nov. 8 elections. Russia has denied the accusations. Trump has said he wants to improve relations with Russia and has praised its president, Vladimir Putin.
“I think we ought to get on with our lives,” Trump told reporters outside Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach, Florida estate, with boxing promoter Don King standing by his side. "I think that computers have complicated lives very greatly. The whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what is going on."
President Barack Obama said Dec. 16 that the U.S. will retaliate against Russia at an unspecified time, in a "thoughtful, methodical way." The response may be covert, public or both, he said.
Earlier Wednesday, Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said during a trip to the Latvian capital that Russia and Putin should expect new sanctions for meddling in the election, Reuters and AP reported.
In Florida, Trump was asked by reporters about efforts to disclose intelligence about Russian interference in the election. "They should do the best they can, figure it all out," he said. In the past, he’s been critical of U.S. intelligence agencies.
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