Trump blames Schiff for Russia-Sanders intel 'leak'
If Russia's alleged disinformation and propaganda schemes to help both President Trump and Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election were meant to sow political discord in the U.S., on Sunday political discord is what they got.
Trump denied he was briefed on intelligence that Russia was helping Sanders - despite reports last week that he and other lawmakers had been informed.
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:
"Nobody said it. I read where Russia is helping Bernie Sanders, nobody said it to me at all, nobody briefed me about that at all."
Trump then took aim at Democratic Representative Adam Schiff - the lead prosecutor in his impeachment trial - for allegedly leaking the information to hurt Sanders, providing no evidence to back up his claim.
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:
"They leaked it -- Adam Schiff and his group, they leaked it to the papers… They ought to investigate Adam Schiff. I think what it could be, the Democrats are treating Bernie Sanders very unfairly. And it sounds to me like a leak from Adam Schiff because they don't want Bernie Sanders to represent them."
Schiff shot back on Twitter Sunday, saying Trump was trying to turn attention away from his own actions, writing,
"Nice deflection, Mr. President. But your false claims fool no one. You welcomed Russian help in 2016, tried to coerce Ukraine's help in 2019, and won't protect our elections in 2020. Now you fired your intel chief for briefing Congress about it. You've betrayed America. Again."
Trump last week fired his acting intelligence chief, replacing him with a political loyalist after being annoyed that U.S. intelligence officials had briefed lawmakers about Russian interference in the 2020 election.
The president has repeatedly dismissed U.S. intelligence findings that Russia intervened to help him win the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton.
Other Trump administration officials have cast doubt on reports that Russia was trying to help Trump again this year, such as White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, who appeared Sunday on CBS's Face the Nation.
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER ROBERT O'BRIEN, SAYING:
"There was no briefing that I've received or that the president's received that says Putin's doing anything to try and influence the elections in favor of Trump."
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:
"So this is all… this is bizarre."
But former Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Face the Nation doubled down on what he described as "overwhelming" evidence of Russian involvement in U.S. elections and Trump's decision to refute his own intelligence agencies' findings.
(SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, SAYING:
"Every intelligence agency has told them they continue to be engaged in this activity. And what's he doing? Zero. What's Republican leadership in the United States Senate and Congress doing? Zero.
By questioning the latest findings, Trump appears to be looking to help Sanders - now the 2020 Democratic frontrunner.
As a self-described democratic socialist, Sanders is a candidate Trump would like to take on in a general election to boost his argument that Democrats are pushing a socialist agenda.
