Donald Trump Holds Press Conference, “Hope[s]” Russia Will Find Clinton Emails

Donald Trump Tells Russia He Hopes They Hacked Hillary Clinton’s Email. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said in a July 27 press conference “that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, essentially sanctioning a foreign power’s cyberspying of a secretary of state’s correspondence,” according to The New York Times. From the report:

Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, essentially sanctioning a foreign power’s cyberspying of a secretary of state’s correspondence. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Mr. Trump said, staring directly into the cameras. “I think you will probably be mightily rewarded by our press.” Mr. Trump’s call was an extraordinary moment at a time when Russia is being accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election. His comments came amid questions about the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s computer servers, which researchers have concluded was likely the work of two Russian intelligence agencies. Later in the news conference, when asked if he was really urging a foreign nation to hack into the private email server of Mrs. Clinton, or a least meddle in the nation’s elections, he dismissed the question. “That’s up to the president,” Mr. Trump said, before finally telling the female questioner to “be quiet — let the president talk to them.” [The New York Times, 7/27/16]

Media Resolutely Condemn Trump’s “Mindblowing” Call For Russia To “Cyber-Invade The United States”

CNN’s David Gregory: Trump’s Suggestion Is Like “A Child Playing With Matches Who Doesn’t Understand How Badly He And The Country Can Get Burned.” CNN political commentator David Gregory panned Trump’s suggestion, saying he is like “a child playing with matches who doesn't understand how badly he and the country can get burned.” Gregory said that Trump’s remarks were “truly beyond the pale.” From the July 27 edition of CNN’s At This Hour with Berman and Bolduan:

JOHN BERMAN (CO-HOST): It is unusual, which is a charitable way of putting it, for a presidential candidate to call on the intelligence services of another nation to hack into American government emails, but that’s what Donald Trump just did. DAVID GREGORY: I've run out of words to express my shock and how completely beyond the pale that Donald Trump is as a potential leader of the free world, the commander in chief of our country. This was truly beyond the pale. I mean, he is encouraging Russia, which by all accounts was behind the leak of one of our major political parties, to do more, to go beyond, to try to hack into Hillary Clinton's server to find missing emails to kind of get in the middle of the scandal. It's as if this is a child playing with matches who doesn't understand how badly he and the country can get burned. It's a very serious thing. And I think that the one thing about Trump is that he is very clear for all to see. He is making very clear what he thinks, how he comes by information, and I think, frankly, the lack of seriousness and the intemperance with which he speaks about important national security matters should certainly give people pause. And I don't think there's anybody who would think that was anything but a fair reading of what we've seen here. Vladimir Putin is dangerous. He's been dangerous to a Democratic president, to a Republican president, President George W. Bush who thought he had a better relationship with him. And now this nominee of the Republican Party wants a closer relationship with Vladimir Putin which is what he said. And he thinks that he has the ability to have a better relationship. There's no evidence to believe that's the case. [CNN, At This Hour with Berman and Bolduan, 7/27/16]

New Yorker’s Philip Gourevitch: “Trump Has Just Publicly Called On Russia To Cyber-Invade The United States To Help Get Him Elected: Talk About High Crimes & Misdemeanors.”

Trump has just publicly called on Russia to cyber-invade the United States to help get him elected: talk about high crimes & misdemeanors. — Philip Gourevitch (@PGourevitch) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg: Trump Is “Just Too Nuts To Be President.”

Trump just asked Russia to spy on his rival, dig up classified U.S. government documents, and release them publicly. How is this happening? — Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) July 27, 2016

He's just too nuts to be president:https://t.co/vwIUjni4vm — Jeffrey Goldberg (@JeffreyGoldberg) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/16, 7/27/16]

NY Daily News’ Robert George: “‘Disturbing’ Doesn’t Even Begin To Describe This.”

“Disturbing” doesn't even begin to describe this. https://t.co/AROq3P1zbp — Robert A George (@RobGeorge) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/16]

NY Times’ Binyamin Appelbaum: “So Trump's Position Is That He's Not Collaborating With Russia, But He Would Really Like To.”

So Trump's position is that he's not collaborating with Russia, but he would really like to. https://t.co/aBhKSroPzO — Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

NBC News’ Benjy Sarlin: “This Is Mindblowing.”

This is mindblowing. Basically asking foreign power to intervene on his behalf on camera. https://t.co/Zrwiw0c1Af — Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) July 27, 2016

Remember the 50,000 times you heard GOP candidates say weakness invites attacks? What do embossed invitations to attack invite? — Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17, 7/27/17]

NY Times’ Maggie Haberman: “Trump Went From Saying The Clinton Team Is Outrageous To Accuse Him Of Colluding W[ith] Putin To Calling On Russia To Find Her Emails.”

Trump went from saying the Clinton team is outrageous to accuse him of colluding w Putin to calling on Russia to find her emails — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

NBC’s Bradd Jaffy: “Whoa, Trump.”

Whoa. Trump: “Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing...” — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 27, 2016

What a time to be alive pic.twitter.com/loIz0Bmqpq — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17, 7/27/16]

Wash. Post’s Philip Rucker: “Remarkable That A Presidential Nominee Is Pleading With A Foreign State Actor To Hack [And] Release A Political Opponent’s Private Emails.”

Remarkable that a presidential nominee is pleading with a foreign state actor to hack & release a political opponent’s private emails. — Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/16]

NY Times’ Farhad Manjoo: Trump “Has Said These Emails May Have US State Secrets. So He's Telling Russians To Search It?”

Like, it's not just Clinton's personal data -- he has said these emails may have US state secrets. So he's telling Russians to search it? — Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

BuzzFeed’s David Mack: “Trump, After Denying He Told Putin What To Do, Expressly Asks Russia To Hack Clinton's Server To Find Missing Emails.”

Trump, after denying he told Putin what to do, expressly asks Russia to hack Clinton's server to find missing emails pic.twitter.com/QTokuPkZy5 — David Mack (@davidmackau) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

Right-Wing Radio Host Steve Deace: “I Cannot Believe An American Presidential Candidate Just Said He Hopes The Russians Acquire Potentially Sensitive Security Intel.”

I cannot believe an American presidential candidate just said he hopes the Russians acquire potentially sensitive security intel. — Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

RedState’s Ben Howe: “The Guy Saying He’ll Build A Wall To Protect American Sovereignty Is Openly Hoping Russia Infiltrates Us.”

The guy saying he’ll build a wall to protect American sovereignty is openly hoping Russia infiltrates us. https://t.co/mWv2U45XHM — Ben Howe (@BenHowe) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/17]

Vanity Fair’s Kurt Eichenwald: “I Would Talk About Trump Inviting Russia To Interfere With [The] Election By Hacking” Clinton’s Server, “But My Mouth Really Hurts. Because My Jaw Hit The Floor.”

I would talk about Trump inviting Russia to interfere with election by hacking HRC, but my mouth really hurts. Because my jaw hit the floor. — Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) July 27, 2016

[Twitter, 7/27/16]