'I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other people,' he said. 'It's not just Russia,' he argued at another point in his news Wednesday news conference.
China hacked 22 million accounts, he said, talking about the 2015 data breach at the Office of Personnel and Management.
Trump condemned the illegal acts but said emails involving Hillary Clinton's campaign that were published by Wikileaks revealed pertinent information.
He showed little remorse for the theft of data from the Democratic National Committee, which he said was 'totally open to being hacked,' he charged, because 'they did a very poor job.'
The president-elect subsequently said, in response to a question about Putin engineering the hack and leak strategy to help him, that he believes the Russian leader's support for him is an 'asset.'
'But remember this, we talk about hacking, the hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done...but look at what was learned from that hacking,' he proclaimed.
Trump said Clinton received debate questions beforehand and 'didn't report it - that's a horrible thing.'
Government hacking occurred 'because we have no defense,' he said during the Q and A session as he made reference to the OPM breach and the theft of civil servants' sensitive, personal information.
When he's president, Trump said cyber attacks on the U.S. and its citizens will end.
Every country, he said, Russia, China, Japan, Mexico 'will respect us, far more, far more than they do under past administration,' he said, painting with a broad brush.
Trump said he views warmer relations with Russia positively because the nation can help in the fight against ISIS.
'If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider that an asset not a liability,' he said, speaking in the third person. 'Because we have a horrible relationship with Russia.'
Trump said he hopes to get along with Putin, 'but there's a good chance I won't.
'
And if I don't, do you honestly believe that Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does anybody in this room really believe that? Give me a break,' he told reporters.
The president-elect said he'd ordered his administration to bring him a new report within 90 days that covers all kinds of hacking. 'We're hacked by everybody.'
Even as he admitted that Putin's government ordered the hacks on the opposing political party, Trump stated later, 'Well you know what it could have been others, also.'
He said at another point in the presser of hacking and Putin, 'He shouldn't be doing it. He wont be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading it.'
Daily Mail
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