WASHINGTON: Congress’ top Republicans on Monday endorsed investigations into the CIA’s belief that Russia meddled in last month’s election to help Donald Trump win, suggesting potential battles ahead with the incoming commander in chief over Moscow and U.S. intelligence.
“The Russians are not our friends,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as GOP leaders steered toward a path contrasting starkly with the president-elect’s belittling dismissal of the spy agency’s assessment and his past praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Richard Burr, R-N.C., will conduct a bipartisan inquiry, according to McConnell, who also expressed support for a related probe by the Armed Services Committee, chaired by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Though declining to say whether he believes Russia tried tilting the election toward Trump, McConnell said, “I hope that those who are going to be in positions of responsibility in the new administration share my view” about Moscow.
Shortly afterward, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., released a statement backing an investigation the House Intelligence Committee has already started on cyberthreats posed by foreign countries and extremist groups. He called any Russian intervention “especially problematic because under President Putin, Russia has been an aggressor that consistently undermines American interests.”
Underscoring possible collisions ahead between Trump and the men leading his party in Congress, McConnell and Ryan struck tones markedly more confrontational toward Russia than he has.
Trump reaffirmed his stance Monday after calling the CIA’s contention “ridiculous” Sunday and blaming the disclosures concerning its assessment on Democrats who he said were embarrassed over losing the election.
The GOP leaders expressed their views after a weekend in which Trump also said he would not need daily intelligence briefings, a staple of presidents’ days for decades and a flouting of a convention common for presidential transitions.
Cabinet nominations
Meanwhile Monday, Trump picked John F. Kelly to lead the Homeland Security Department, putting an outspoken retired Marine general in charge of delivering the president-elect’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration.
Kelly, who lost a son in combat in Afghanistan, is the third recently retired general to join Trump’s Cabinet. Like the others, he clashed at times with the Obama administration.
If confirmed by the Senate, Kelly will be tasked with carrying out some of Trump’s most controversial campaign pledges, including building a wall along the border with Mexico, boosting deportations of immigrants in the U.S. illegally and vetting visitors from Muslim-majority nations.
“He is the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and securing our borders, streamlining [the Transportation Security Administration] and improving coordination between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” Trump said in a statement.
Kelly, 66, said he was “humbled and grateful” to be picked. “The American people voted in this election to stop terrorism, take back sovereignty at our borders and put a stop to political correctness that for too long has dictated our approach to national security,” he said in a statement.
“I will tackle those issues with a seriousness of purpose and a deep respect for our laws and Constitution. I am honored for the opportunity to be back in the service to our country and our people.”
Trump tweeted Monday night that he would announce his pick for secretary of state Tuesday.
He held meetings in New York throughout the day with potential administration appointees and other leading GOP, congressional and corporate figures. Among them was Carly Fiorina, who unsuccessfully vied with Trump this year for their party’s nomination. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, was there to discuss national security issues.
As expected, Trump’s team announced he would name Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn to head the White House National Economic Council.