Thread: Donald Trump Concedes That Russia Probably Meddled in Election

JAN 12 2017, 12:51 PM ET

Trump’s CIA Pick Mike Pompeo Backs Intelligence Report on Russian Hacking

by EMMA MARGOLIN

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Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo on Thursday sought to quell concerns his judgment as CIA director would be colored by partisan motivations, telling members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence he agreed with the intelligence community's assessment that Russia had interfered in the U.S. election.
Speaking of the current skepticism circulating around the legitimacy of the election results, Pompeo told the committee he has "no doubt that the discourse that's been taking place is something [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would look at and say, 'That was among the objectives that I have.'"


U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for the director of the CIA, Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) is sworn in at his confirmation hearing before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee on January 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. Mr. Pompeo is a former Army officer who graduated first in his class from West Point. Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Earlier in the hearing, Pompeo said he believed a recent report from the intelligence community concluding that Russia tried to help Republican President-elect Donald Trump by "discrediting" his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, was "sound."

If confirmed as CIA director, he added, "I will continue to pursue foreign intelligence with vigor no matter where the facts lead."

A foreign policy hawk elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010, Pompeo is known as a vociferous critic of the Iran nuclear deal and champion of aggressive surveillance programs. He was tapped by Trump to lead the CIA ten days after the election.

Pompeo said Thursday that though he opposed the Iran nuclear agreement as a member a Congress, "If confirmed [as CIA director], my role will change." He vowed to continue to evaluate Iranian compliance with the agreement, which put limits on Iran's nuclear programs in exchange for lighter sanctions. Yet he cautioned: "The Iranians are professional at cheating."

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