Rauner: Trump Should Be Holding Russians Accountable
Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks with reporters Tuesday, July 17, 2018 in his ceremonial office at the Illinois Statehosue. Brian Mackey/NPR Illinois
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he does not agree with President Trump’s initial statements on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Trump on Monday seemed to accept Russian denials about interfering in the 2016 election. That's despite American intelligence agencies concluding numerous hacks were a Russian government operation.
“We should not be defending (the) Russians’ behavior,” Rauner says. “Putin is a brutal dictator. The Russians are not our friends.”
Trump later walked back his initial remarks, saying he accepted the American assessment.
Rauner’s critique noteworthy because he usually goes out of his way to avoid taking about the president, rarely even saying Trump's name.
“Illinois and 22 states’ election systems were digitally attacked. Every indication is that it was Russian hackers doing it. And we — the president and all of us — should be holding the Russians accountable for that,” Rauner says.