Senior Democrats support President Trump’s assertion that former President Barack Obama did little to stop Russia from meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.
Trump, who described the probe into alleged ties between his aides and Russia as a “witch hunt,” seemed to have accepted that Russia interfered with 2016 US election in a post on Twitter.
President Trump said if Russia was seriously working on the 2016 presidential election, it all happened during Barack Obama tenure in the White House. He questioned the administration for not stopping the Russians.
The Senate and House of Representatives' committees on foreign relations as well as special counsel Robert Mueller are currently probing Russia’s meddling in the election and the alleged collusion by Trump administration officials.
Democrats accused Obama
On Friday, Democrats, who were on the same page with Trump, accused former President Obama for failing to act following the report by the Washington Post. The report stated that US intelligence informed the former president that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally authorized a campaign to help Trump win the election.
Democrat Eric Swalwell, who is also a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said the response by the Obama administration was not enough.
He feels it could have been better if Americans were informed about the extent of the Russian intrusion.
Other Democrats criticized the Obama administration for failure to sanction Russia as soon as the election was over and the Trump administration was warming up to take over the rein of power.
Obama administration's mild response on Russian hacking
The Obama administration sanctioned 35 Russian diplomats by expelling them from the United States in response to the alleged hacking of emails from the Democrat Party severs in a bid to defame Hillary Clinton and influence the election.
However the Post reports, the former administration excluded the release of information that could possibly humiliate President Putin or impose tougher sanctions.
Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat and a member of the House Intelligence Committee, described the sanctions against Russia as “barely a slap on the wrist.”
Jeh Johnson, former Homeland Security director, told the House Intelligence Committee on Wednesday that proof of Russian hacking had been exposed in August by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. However, due to fear of being accused of attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, the administration of the former president was unwilling to act.
