President-elect Donald Trump issued a terse statement Thursday, presumably in response to new actions taken by the Obama administration against Russia for cyberattacks during the presidential campaign.
“It’s time for our country to move on to bigger and better things,” the statement read. “Nevertheless, in the interest of our country and its great people, I will meet with leaders of the intelligence community next week in order to be updated on the facts of this situation.”
The statement did not say specifically that it was response to the sanctions placed on Russian intelligence officials and entities the U.S. says are connected to the cyberattacks, but less than an hour before the statement was released a transition pool reporter was given a heads up that the President-elect’s response would be forthcoming.
Earlier Thursday, the Obama administration announced an executive action that included sanctions and other retaliatory measures against Russia, for both the cyberattacks as well as harassment that U.S. officials say American diplomats in Russia have faced. The executive action could be reversed by Trump once he is inaugurated, a senior Obama administration official told reporters on a press call.
