Trump Urges Russia To Hack Clinton's Emails

PHILADELPHIA: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday said he hoped that Russia would hack into Hillary Clinton's email server to find "missing" messages and release them to the public.

"Russia, if you're listening I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press," Trump said during a press conference at his Doral resort in south Florida on Wednesday.

"They probably have them. I'd like to have them release. It gives me no pause, if they have them, they have them," Trump added later when asked if his comments were inappropriate. "If Russia or China or any other country has those emails, I mean to be honest with you, I'd love to see them."

His comments came during a free-wheeling and tense news conference with reporters. On several occasions Trump interrupted reporters and accused them of bias. In one instance, he told a female reporter to "be quiet."

The real estate mogul sought throughout the gathering to distance himself from allegations that the Russian government hacked into the Democratic National Committee to benefit his campaign, which Clinton's campaign manager suggested earlier this week.

"It is so farfetched. It's so ridiculous. Honestly I wish I had that power. I'd love to have that power but Russia has no respect for our country," Trump said.

Trump said repeatedly that "I have nothing to do with Russia" and distanced himself from previous positive comments he made about Putin: "I have nothing to do with Russia! I said that Putin has much better leadership qualities than Obama, but who doesn't know that," he said.

The remarks came amid a series of concerted attacks on Trump by top Democrats, previewing some of what they plan to say Wednesday night to tout Hillary Clinton's fitness to serve as commander-in-chief.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and the man who wants to succeed him, Sen. Timothy Kaine, D-Va., began lobbing charges against Trump early Wednesday.

On NBC's "Today" show, Obama sought to raise fears of a Trump presidency. Responding to a question about Trump's electoral chances, Obama said "we don't know" whether the Republican could win the presidency and warned Democrats that "anybody who goes into campaigns not running scared can end up losing."

Biden delivered a blunter assessment, saying that Trump "knows nothing about foreign policy, nor should he, based upon his background. But the thing that bothers me is, I don't see any attempt for him to go out and to get people who really know on the Republican side" to advise him, he told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."

Trump dismissed the attacks on Wednesday, calling Obama "the most ignorant president in our history. His views of the world, as he says, don't jive, and the world is a mess."

During a news conference in Florida, Trump said Obama "will go down as one of the worst presidents in the history of our country. It is a mess. And I believe that Hillary Clinton will be even worse."

On Twitter, Trump called Biden "not very bright."

Kaine spoke Wednesday morning to Virginia Democrats and focused on Trump's rhetoric and his frequently controversial remarks about women, minorities and temporarily banning Muslims from entering the United States.

"Is it too much to ask to have the first woman president rather than someone who offends women every time he opens his mouth?" he said on Wednesday morning.

Kaine, whose Marine son deployed overseas Monday, also said Trump has fought to avoid paying taxes that pay for the military -- a potent message in veterans-rich Virginia.

"Who's funding veterans' programs?" he asked. "Who's funding veterans' services? Folks like you and me, but Donald Trump's too big to have to fund veterans, too big to have to fund our military. . . too big to have to fund the things that make us a great nation."

"I guess that's just for suckers to have to pay for the society we have," he said, as the audience of friends and supporters cheered.

Clearly moved by the support of home state Democrats, Kaine received a standing ovation at the delegation's breakfast as he emphasized the historic nature of Clinton's nomination.

The senator plans focus on Clinton's "plans to keep America safe" on Wednesday, according to a campaign official.

The topic is consistent with the theme that Clinton officials have crafted for a third night of the Democratic National Convention as foreign policy and terrorism have risen to the fore in the 2016 election. Trump has seized on those issues, casting himself as the candidate more focused on keeping the country safe.

The Clinton aide cited Kaine's service on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee and said his speech would also touch on economic issues. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity to more freely discuss plans for the evening.

Kaine's pick as Clinton's vice presidential running mate drew praise from many quarters, but the former Virginia governor faces a challenge in convincing some progressive groups that he will champion their issues. Longtime watchers of Virginia politics say the question during much of Kaine's career there has actually been whether Kaine is too liberal for their state.

But Sen. Christopher Murphy, D-Conn., who sits alongside Kaine on the foreign relations panel, described the Virginian on Wednesday as "a next-level intellect."

"There's nobody better on that committee to distill these complicated issues into easy, digestible ways," Murphy said in a Washington Post interview in Philadelphia. "I think he's going to bring a readiness and humanity to this role. And all the press he gets about being a nice guy - it's all true."

Other speakers on Wednesday will include Leon Panetta, the former defense secretary and CIA director who served alongside Clinton during Obama's first term, most notably during the military operation that killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, plans to endorse Clinton during Wednesday evening's proceedings amid concerns about Trump's fitness for the presidency.

The convention is also poised to double down on Clinton's push to enact tough new gun control laws by featuring families of the victims of the recent Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting; the daughter of the principal of a Connecticut elementary school who was shot dead in a 2012 shooting; and astronaut Mark Kelly and his wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the victim of a 2011 assassination attempt. The couple leads a gun safety organization.

The Clinton campaign meanwhile sought to tamp down fresh questions about whether the candidate intends to reverse her opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership if she is elected president.

The controversy erupted on Tuesday night, when Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe told a reporter for Politico that Clinton, who is a longtime friend and ally, would support a version of the deal, which is supported by Obama.

But Clinton's campaign chairman, senior aides and prominent supporters quickly corrected the governor saying that Clinton opposes TPP before and after the election.

Speaking on "CBS This Morning," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said that McAuliffe was "wrong" to say that Clinton would eventually support the trade deal.

"Well, Terry McAuliffe shouldn't have said what he said," McCaskill said. "Terry McAuliffe made a huge mistake and Terry McAuliffe is wrong."

McAuliffe also clarified his position, blaming a misunderstanding for the gaffe and said that he believed that Clinton would oppose the deal unless her concerns were addressed.

The governor's comments on TPP came as he joined a parade of Clinton supporters from all walks of life - led by her husband, Bill Clinton, whose long, folksy telling of their love story was the evening's capstone - tried to open a window into Hillary Clinton's character and motivations by sharing a medley of personal anecdotes.

© 2016 The Washington Post 

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