Donald Trump on Russian hacking, Putin, Mexico at first press conference

Donald Trump’s first press conference since the election was at times angry, and included a hacking concession | WATCH

Donald Trump during his first news conference since winning the US election in November.

President-elect Donald Trump has for the first time conceded that he believes Russia was behind cyberattacks aimed at influencing the election as he lashed out over the release of unsubstantiated allegations that Russian officials have compromising material on him.

Mr. Trump, in a news conference in New York, made the hacking declaration after receiving a classified briefing from U.S. intelligence officials last week on a report accusing Russia of trying to swing the election in his favour.

“I think it was Russia, but we also get hacked by other countries,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump indicated he also believes, as intelligence officials have said, that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the cyberattacks aimed at influencing the election.

“He shouldn’t have done it,” Mr Trump said of Mr Putin.

The president-elect also accused intelligence officials of leaking the fact that his briefing included information on unsubstantiated allegations against him, while he criticised the news media for reporting on the allegations and said it was an attempt to undermine his incoming presidency.

“I think it’s a disgrace that information would be let out,” Mr Trump said.

He denied the contents of the material U.S. intelligence officials informed him had been compiled by a former Western intelligence official. That report purports that Russia has private financial and personal information about Mr Trump and that members of his team were in contact with Russian operatives during the campaign.

“It’s phony stuff. It didn’t happen,” Mr Trump said.

Mr Trump doubled down on his comment on Twitter earlier Wednesday that publishing the unsubstantiated material was “something that Nazi Germany would do.”

Russia has denied it has compromising material on Mr Trump and that it used cyberattacks to try to influence the November election.

Mr Trump also said if U.S. relations were to improve with Russia, it would be good for the country. He said he was unsure if he would get along with Mr Putin, who is seen as a consistent U.S. adversary by the current administration and to many members of Congress, including in both parties.

“If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset not a liability,” Mr Trump said.

Wednesday’s news conference was his first since winning election in November. His last news conference was July 27.

Mr Trump also said he supports repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act simultaneously, the same day or same week. He said once his Health and Human Services secretary is in place, his administration will put forward a plan. “We’re going to get a health bill passed,” he said.

The president-elect announced his choice for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin, who is the department’s current undersecretary for health. He said Mr Shulkin would fix some of the problems the agency has had with providing services.

I win an election easily, a great "movement" is verified, and crooked opponents try to belittle our victory with FAKE NEWS. A sorry state!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is "A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE." Very unfair!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Intelligence agencies should never have allowed this fake news to "leak" into the public. One last shot at me.Are we living in Nazi Germany?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

He also said he would make a decision on his nomination for an open Supreme Court seat within two weeks of his Jan. 20 inauguration. Mr Trump said he has begun interviewing some of the 21 candidates he is considering to fill the vacancy left last February after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Mr Trump said he plans to ask taxpayers to initially fund the construction of a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and have the Mexican government reimburse the cost. “I don’t feel like waiting a year or a year and a half. I want to start building,” he said.

Mexico’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said Tuesday there is “no way” his country will pay for a wall.

Mr Trump also vowed to take on big companies. He said he hopes General Motors Co. follows other companies and maintains jobs in the U.S., and he said he plans to change bidding procedures for drug companies.

“They supply our drugs, but they don’t make them in the country,” Mr Trump said. “They’re getting away with murder.”

He, along with lawyer Sheri Dillon, outlined how he would handle his vast business network as president. Mr Trump said he has no loans or deals with Russia.

Separately, he said he was offered a $2 billion deal in Dubai from a developer friend of his. “I turned it down. I didn’t have to turn it down. I have no conflicts,” Mr Trump said.

Additional reporting: Michael C. Bender

WSJ