Unsettling

Obama Says Russia Could Be Behind DNC Leak

“Trump has gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia.”

President Barack Obama says he wouldn’t rule out Russia’s involvement in the DNC leak that rattled Hillary Clinton’s campaign and forced the DNC chair out. “Anything is possible,” Obama told NBC in an interview aired Tuesday when asked whether he thought Moscow would try to sway the Nov. 8 presidential election. The leak of more than 18,000 emails last week triggered a scandal among Democrats, as it appeared to show the committee favored Clinton over Bernie Sanders. The controversy is thought to have given the upperhand to Republican nominee Donald Trump, a fact which experts say is exactly what Russia wants. Cybersecurity experts have attributed the DNC leak to Russian hackers with ties to Russian security services. “What we do know is that the Russians hack our systems, not just government systems but private systems,” Obama said. “What the motives were in terms of the leaks, all that, I can’t say directly. What I do know is that Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed admiration for Vladimir Putin,” he said. And the admiration is mutual, he said, adding that “Trump has gotten pretty favorable coverage back in Russia.”