Summary
Watching Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a gruff, 50-year veteran of the spy world, answer congressional questions Thursday, you couldn't help wondering if perhaps this time Donald Trump has met his match.
The showdown between Clapper and Trump over allegations of Russian hacking will shape public perceptions of the next president in the two weeks before his inauguration.
Trump's post-election line on Russian hacking has been to blame U.S. intelligence agencies and the news media.
Trump at times has actually seemed to be siding with Russia and other anti-American critics and against U.S. intelligence agencies.
Instead, Trump called the allegations of Russian hacking "ridiculous," claimed it was the Democratic National Committee's own fault if its cybersecurity was poor, needled the CIA for its Iraq WMD mistakes, and otherwise sought to belittle the intelligence agencies.
Trump treated him like a new friend.
What did Trump say back then about Russian hackers?
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