"I think it's a disgrace that information would be let out. I saw the information, I read the information outside of that meeting," Trump told reporters in his first formal press conference in six months.
Referring to a dossier with allegations that Russia has compromising material on him, the President-elect said, "It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen."
"As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I also think we've been hacked by other countries, other people," he said
addressing the crowded press conference nine days from his inauguration as the 45th president of the US.
A visibly composed Trump said his team is going to put
"some of the greatest computer minds" together and put up a defence against hacking by foreign entities.
The press conference came amid media reports that chiefs of American intelligence agencies had last week presented President Barack Obama and Trump with a summary of unsubstantiated reports that Russia had collected compromising and salacious personal information about Trump.
Alluding to Moscow's response on the leak of intelligence information, Trump said Putin and Russia said this was fake news.
"I respected the fact that he said that. If they had broken into RNC they would have released it," he said .
"If Putin likes Donald Trump, it is an asset not a liability. I hope I do get along with Putin, there's good chance I won't," he said.
Trump said his administration will come out with a major report on hacking within 90 days.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
