President Trump on Sunday accused longtime gadfly Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and other Democrats of leaking information that Russia is seeking to help Sen. Bernie Sanders win the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
The president also said that he was not informed before reports emerged about the alleged Russian interference.
“I read where Russia is helping Bernie Sanders. Nobody said it to me at all. Nobody briefed me about that at all,” Trump told reporters Sunday at the White House as he prepared to leave for a two-day trip to India.
“They leaked it, Adam Schiff and his group, they leaked it to the papers and, as usual, they ought to investigate Adam Schiff for leaking that information. He should not be leaking information out of intelligence. They ought to investigate Adam Schiff.”
Trump also suggested that Schiff, California Democrat and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, released the information to hurt Sanders’ chances of winning the nomination.
“What it could be is you know the Democrats are treating Bernie Sanders very unfairly and it sounds to me like a leak from Adam Schiff because they don’t want Bernie Sanders to represent them. It sounds like it’s ’16 all over again for Bernie Sanders,” Trump said.
“He had a great victory yesterday, but you know what happening, you can see the handwriting on the wall,” the president added. Asked if Sanders will win the nomination, Trump said: “I think so, unless they cheat him out of it. Bernie is looking more and more like he’ll be the nominee unless they cheat him out of it. A lot of people thought he was going to be nominee last time but it didn’t work out. I think they’re watching it very closely.”
Sanders blew away the field in the Nevada caucuses on Saturday, pulling in 46% of the vote. His next closest rival, former vice president Joe Biden, got just 19.6% of the vote, with former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg coming in third with 15.3%.
In a classified briefing last week, intelligence officials informed members of the House Intelligence Committee that Russia was again interfering in American politics ahead of November’s election. U.S. intelligence agencies have said that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
Said Sanders: “I don’t care, frankly, who [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants to be president. My message to Putin is clear: Stay out of American elections, and as president, I will make sure that you do.”
Trump immediately targeted Democrats for the leak.
“Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!” he wrote in Twitter on Friday.
Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!
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Schiff, who served as the lead prosecutor in Trump’s impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, denied Trump’s accusations, writing on Twitter that “Americans decide American elections.”
Mr. President, I didn’t say that. But if you wish to quote me, quote this:
”The only thing Americans despise more than foreign actors trying to affect the vote is a president unwilling to do anything to stop it.”
Americans decide American elections. twitter.com/realDonaldTrum…
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Trump, in a tweet on Saturday night, complained that he was never informed.
“The Kremlin is reportedly backing Bernie Sanders bid to win the White House.” Jon Scott @FoxNews Why didn’t somebody tell me this?” Trump tweeted.
“The Kremlin is reportedly backing Bernie Sanders bid to win the White House.” Jon Scott @FoxNews Why didn’t somebody tell me this?
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“Just another Shifty Schiff leak. Isn’t there a law about this stuff?” Trump tweeted.
Just another Shifty Schiff leak. Isn’t there a law about this stuff? twitter.com/cbs_herridge/s…
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The Kremlin on Friday denied that Russia was interfering in the presidential campaign. “These are more paranoid announcements which, to our regret, will multiply as we get closer to the [U.S.] election,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “They have nothing to do with the truth.”
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