One of the biggest stories to come out of the 2016 presidential election was what impact Russia had on the outcome. In the aftermath of Election Day, the CIA, FBI, and others have concluded that Russia hacked the election in favor of Donald Trump, though not everyone seems to be convinced.
Trump on Twitter
Over the course of the entire election, speculation grew about what the possible relationship was between Donald Trump and Russia.
Various news outlets reported on potential links between Trump and the Kremlin, but with the president-elect keeping his tax returns private, it was unknown if he had any financial ties to Russia. As the general election moved forward, Wikileaks released the private emails of Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, in a move that many on the left see as the downfall for the Democrats during the election. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange spoke to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Tuesday night, and denied that Russia was the source of the hack. Taking to his official Twitter account on January 4, Trump gave his thoughts.
"Julian Assange said 'a 14 year old could have hacked Podesta"' - why was DNC so careless?" Donald Trump wrote in Twitter early Wednesday morning, before adding, "Also said Russians did not give him the info!" Nearly an hour later, the billionaire real estate mogul sent out a two-part tweet that bashed the Democratic National Committee and the media for how they handled the alleged Russian hacking.
"Somebody hacked the DNC but why did they not have 'hacking defense' like the RNC has and why have they not responded to the terrible things they did and said (like giving the questions to the debate to H)," Donald Trump tweeted. Trump went on to state, "A total double standard! Media, as usual, gave them a pass." Trump's comments double down on what Julian Assange had to say about the American media, labeling the press in the United States "very dishonest" while speaking to Sean Hannity on Fox News.
Next up
Despite the mounting evidence that Russia was behind the hack of the DNC and the election, Donald Trump, his supporters, and the right-wing media refuse to accept those conclusions. In an apparent case of bipartisanship, the political right in the United States now view Russia and President Vladimir Putin as an ally, apparently because of the sour relationship with President Obama. Trump will be sworn in on Inauguration Day in less than three weeks, and at that point the American people will have a better idea of where the country moves forward in regards to Russia.