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Added on the 21/12/2020 11:27:08 - Copyright : Wochit
"The problem is not that Putin is smart," former US President Donald Trump says during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida. "The real problem is our leaders are dumb." Trump says Putin must think he "can take over a whole country" with only the minimal consequence of sanctions from NATO leaders. SOUNDBITE
Business Insider is reporting that President Donald Trump has pardoned his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Manafort was investigated by Robert Mueller during his probe into Russia's interference in the 2016 US election. Manafort was convicted of eight counts of tax and bank fraud. Manafort also later pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and another count of obstruction. A federal judge voided the plea deal after finding that he lied to prosecutors after agreeing to cooperate. Manafort was sentenced last year to 7 1/2 years in prison for his crimes. The Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee concluded that he represents a "grave counterintelligence threat" to the US.
On Sunday, Sen. Mitt Romney publicly criticized President Donald Trump's continued efforts to undermine and delegitimize the 2020 election. Romney said there were many things Trump could be doing, like heralding the success of the COVID vaccine. Romney is dismayed that Trump has chosen to focus on overturning the election. "It's really sad and in a lot of respects embarrassing," he said. Romney said Trump is leaving Washington "with a whole series of conspiracy theories." "Things that are so nutty and loopy that people are shaking their heads, wondering what in the world has gotten into this man."
(CNN) President-elect Joe Biden's approach to Russia is now an even tougher challenge with news that Moscow may be responsible for a massive cyber attack on US federal agencies -- one Biden said he will impose "costs" for. The President-elect and his team are preparing a "cost imposition strategy" to respond to Russia -- not just for the hack, if Moscow is responsible, but for Russia's other disruptive actions also -- measures that will include but won't be limited to sanctions, according to a source close to Biden.