Mitch McConnell ‘Strongly’ Condemns Russian Interference in 2016 Election

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out Monday to “strongly condemn” any Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

“Any foreign breach of our cyber security measures is disturbing and I strongly condemn any such efforts,” McConnell said Monday.

During a press conference at the U.S. Capitol, McConnell read a statement to address lingering skepticism held by some lawmakers about Russian efforts to impact the outcome of the presidential election. McConnell said Monday that it “defies belief” that some in the Republican Party don’t want an investigation into Russian actions, adding that this should not be a partisan issue.

“The Russians are not our friends,” McConnell said. “The Russians do not wish us well.”

The Kentucky Senator said he stands with a bipartisan group of Senators including Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham who called for a bipartisan investigation into Russian efforts.

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly denied that there were any attempts by Russia to impact the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. In a series of tweets on Monday, Trump said if the tables were turned and he’d claimed Russia had interfered in an election he’d lost it would be called a “conspiracy theory.”