Donald Trump Suggests Intelligence Agencies Released Russia Allegations

Donald Trump commented on reports that he was briefed on a memo alleging that Russia has compromising information about the president-elect at a press conference on Wednesday, calling the memo “nonsense” and saying intelligence agencies may be to blame for its release.

“I want to thank a lot of the news organizations here today,” he said, “because they looked at that nonsense that was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who knows, but maybe the intelligence agencies, which would be a tremendous blot on their record if they did that.”

Though his press secretary Sean Spicer slammed BuzzFeed for posting the document containing the allegations, calling it a “sad and pathetic attempt to get clicks,” Trump thanked the news organizations that chose not to post the documents. “I have great respect for freedom of the press and all of that, but I will tell you there were some news organizations with all that was just said that were so professional, so incredibly professional that I’ve just gone up a notch as to what I think of you.”

Asked about his tweet comparing the situation to “Nazi Germany,” Trump said, “I think it was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information, that turned out to be so false and fake, out. I think it’s a disgrace and I say that … and that’s something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. Information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public, as far as Buzzfeed—which is a failing pile of garbage—writing it, I think they are going to suffer the consequences. They already are.”