By Dustin Rowles | Politics | December 15, 2016 |
By Dustin Rowles | Politics | December 15, 2016 |
President Obama will be holding a press conference tomorrow at 2:15 EST, before going to Hawaii for a family vacation. The press conference could be routine. But it could be a big fucking deal. We won’t know until 2:15, but here’s some context.
First off, U.S. Intelligence agencies are preparing a report, showing all the times we have been cyber-attacked by foreign governments between 2008 and 2016. This report will come out before Trump’s inauguration, but not before the Electoral College makes its decision. That decision comes on Monday.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, wrote a blistering article in the NYTimes tonight attacking the FBI for its lackadaisical approach to Russian cyberattacks while simultaneously aggressively pursuing Hillary Clinton’s emails, which proved to be nothing.
Here’s where it gets interesting:
CNN is reporting that Trump's refusal to acknowledge Russia interference has made White House decide orderly transition isn't main priority
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) December 16, 2016
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) December 16, 2016
This comes on the same day that Donald Trump essentially suggested that the White House is making up all of these cyberattacks — which again, have not only been proven by intelligence communities, but there is also evidence Putin played a direct role — because, he says, the Dems are sore losers.
If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2016
But Obama did ring the bell in October. But he didn’t ring it as loud as he should have Obama — thinking Clinton would win — decided not to go after the Russians over cyberattacks. That was his bad.
NBC News sources: Obama WH thought Clinton would win, didn't want to risk cyber war w/Russia https://t.co/nvYyD1zkHq https://t.co/25IYOKdcvX
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) December 15, 2016
However, the Obama Administration did say today that they believe Putin personally authorized the cyberattacks.
In summary:
It seems that this entire week has been leading up to this. CIA leaks, WH getting more vocal, Trump not acknowledging Russian interference.
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) December 16, 2016
In the wake of all of this:
POTUS press conference tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ap7GXYnwJP
— April (@ReignOfApril) December 16, 2016
Here’s some hopeful hyperbole. Maybe.
Obama press conference tomorrow will be the biggest event in American history… If he does what it's looking like. I'd watch.
— David Yankovich (@DavidYankovich) December 15, 2016
Again, it could be absolutely nothing. Or it could just be Obama expressing deep frustration with Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the facts or to trust in our intelligence agencies. Or he could be straight-up calling out Trump. Or maybe he’s got something on Trump that would be meaningful.
Most likely, it will be something along these lines:
@theta1138 Obama's strategy is generally to pay out rope and let the GOP tie the noose. Also note the timing. And he goes on vacay tomorrow.
— Dan Seitz (@theta1138) December 16, 2016