Attorney General Loretta Lynch eventually decided not to pursue criminal charges against her.
“If it is Russia ... but it’s probably China, or it could be somebody sitting in his bed,” Trump said at the Wednesday conference. “Putin and the leaders throughout the world have no respect for our country.”
But then he said, “it’s probably not Russia.”
Trump said if elected president, he'd be “much better for U.S.-Russian relations,” adding that he’s “not going to tell Putin what to do. Why should I tell Putin what to do?”
“He said one nice thing about me,” Trump said of Putin.
Trump’s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, later released a statement.
“If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences,” the statement read.
“That said, the Democrats singularly focusing on who might be behind it and not addressing the basic fact that they’ve been exposed as a party who not only rigs the government, but rigs elections while literally accepting cash for federal appointments is outrageous,” he added.
Clinton’s campaign released a statement on Trump’s comments.
“This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,” Jake Sullivan, a Clinton spokesperson said.
