Debates about Russia’s involvement in the 2016 election — and ongoing alleged hacking — have become politicized and are putting the American people at risk, according to one counterintelligence expert.
“As a loyal American, let me tell you, I’m disgusted by the White House and disgusted by the incoming president. This is non-partisan,” CNN counter-terrorism analyst Philip Mudd said Friday on “New Day.”
“We have two 6-year-olds figuring out who can piss higher on a tree about what happened with the intelligence.”
GOP on brink of new Cold War over whether to work with Russia
Mudd said the White House and Trump transition team must come together to address ongoing concerns about Russia’s involved in the digital world, the Iran nuclear program and Syria.
“My message is ‘Shut-up to the White House! Shut up to the Trump office. Figure out what we do going forward and stop trying to figure out what happened six months ago,” he said.
Clinton says Putin grudge led Russia to hack Dem groups
Mudd, a CIA and FBI veteran, suggested that if the two camps don’t come together to address Russia, bigger problems could lie ahead.
“The conversation about Russia can not be isolated to deal with the hacks,” he said. “I think the conversation has to be broader.”
“What’s the new approach to Russia that includes conversations about Iran and Syria? Can the Obama administration do something to put the ball on the tee for the Trump campaign,” Mudd asked. “They’ve got to work together. And Right now its like two kids in a sand box. It’s disgusting.”
Donald Trump attacked John Earnest during a rally Thursday after the White House Press Secretary alleged the President-elect was knowledgeable of Russia’s involvement in the election.”This foolish guy, Josh Earnest, I don’t know if he is talking to President Obama. You know, having the right press secretary is so important because he is so bad the way he delivers the message,” Trump told supporters in Hershey, Pennsylvania. “He can deliver a positive message and it sounds bad. He could say ladies and gentlemen, today we have totally defeated ISIS and it wouldn’t sound good.”
Obama vows action against Russia for hacks
Trump’s attack was a response to Earnest telling the media earlier Thursday that Trump “obviously” knew Russia was involved in the hacking.
“It’s just a fact — you all have it on tape — that the Republican nominee for president was encouraging Russia to hack his opponent because he believed that that would help his campaign,” Earnest said.
“I don’t know if it was a staff meeting or if he had access to a briefing or he was just basing his assessment on a large number of published reports, but Mr. Trump obviously knew that Russia was engaged in malicious cyberactivity that was helping him and hurting Hillary Clinton’s campaign,” he added.
