President Trump and his top advisers appear to be at loggerheads over who is to blame for the ongoing cyberattack on government and corporate computer systems – as well as its seriousness.
“The Cyber Hack is far greater in the Fake News Media than in actuality,” Trump tweeted Saturday in his first public comments on the crisis, pooh-poohing the dire assessments of his own Department of Homeland Security.
“Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens,” he went on to complain – adding, “it may be China (it may!).”
That pronouncement undercut Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who on Friday pinned blame for breach on Russia – the first member of the Trump administration to do so.
“This was a very significant effort,” Pompeo told radio talker Mark Levin. “I think it’s the case that now we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity.”
Trump went on to tie the computer intrusion to his continued unproven claims of widespread fraud in last month’s presidential election, which he has not conceded — despite this week’s Electoral College vote confirming Joe Biden’s victory.
“There could also have been a hit on our ridiculous voting machines during the election,” he tweeted — “which is now obvious that I won big.”