Obama defends response to political hacking
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is defending how he's handled the hacking of political sites that took place before the November election.
He says at a White House news conference today that his goal is to send a clear message to Russia that such intrusions won't be tolerated. But he's now saying what the U.S. response will be.
Obama says with the "hyperpartisan atmosphere" of the election, his main concern was the integrity of the election process. He says he wanted to make sure the U.S. public understood that the White House was trying to "play this thing straight."
He says he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in September, and told him – in these words – to "cut it out."
The White House hasn't commented about what a U.S. response might entail. Options could include a retaliatory cyberstrike on Russian networks or sanctions targeting Putin's associates.