Trump calls 2016 Russia election interference story “hoax”

U.S. President Donald Trump told NBC in an exclusive interview that allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election are false, calling them a “hoax.”

“Everybody knows that Russia… turned out to be a hoax,” Trump said, rejecting years of claims that Moscow had influenced the outcome of the election. He maintained that while Russia was blamed, the actual issues involved domestic political matters, notably citing Hunter Biden.

Trump emphasised that election integrity remains crucial, but he argued that the focus on Russia has been misplaced. “It wasn’t Russia,” he said, adding that any cheating that occurred should be thoroughly investigated to prevent future issues.

While discussing other potential threats to U.S. elections, Trump did not rule out interference from other foreign powers, mentioning China as a possible concern. However, his comments repeatedly underscored his dismissal of Russia’s involvement.

By Vugar Khalilov