Trump: Why didn’t Obama ‘do something about Russian meddling?’

President Trump questioned Monday why former President Obama didn’t take action on Russian interference in the 2016 election, despite Obama having implemented sanctions against the country over its meddling.

The tweet comes just days after special counsel Robert Mueller indicted more than a dozen Russians and three Russian groups for election interference.

Trump has tweeted about Moscow’s hacking and the U.S. investigations into it multiple times across the Presidents Day weekend, which he is spending at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida. 

Obama issued sanctions against Russia for the meddling after U.S. intelligence officials said they had found evidence that the country had hacked U.S. groups and leaked emails in an effort to influence the 2016 vote. 

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He also expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and ordered two Russian compounds to be closed.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said earlier this year that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to join a bipartisan statement warning Russia against the interference during the election.

Some Democrats, including Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), have acknowledged that the Obama administration could have done more to prevent the election meddling.

Democrats have criticized Trump for declining to implement new sanctions against Russia that passed Congress last year by overwhelming, bipartisan margins.

A State Department spokesperson said earlier this year that the legislation allowing for the sanctions was already “serving as a deterrent” and there was no need to penalize Russia further at this time.

Tags Adam Schiff Donald Trump Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Joe Biden Mitch McConnell Robert Mueller

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