Russia, Mexico and media: Highlights from President-Elect Donald Trump’s news conference
By Alana Cerrone
@Alana_Cerrone
We’ve heard plenty from the President-Elect on Twitter, but it’s been over 160 days since we’ve heard from Trump in a formal setting.
In a Wednesday morning press conference originally designed to address the future of his business while he’s President, Trump took the opportunity to deny unconfirmed reports that his personal information was targeted by Russian hackers.
"It’s all fake news, it’s phony stuff, it didn’t happen. It was gotten by opponents of ours,"
Trump said in his first press conference since the election.
President-Elect Trump thanked news organizations that didn’t release the information, while refusing to answer questions from others.
Although he denied the reports, he says he does think Russia was behind the DNC email hack.
"If Putin likes Donald Trump, guess what, folks, that’s called an asset, not a liability."
Turning to his business interests, Trump says he still won’t release his tax returns because they’re under audit.
"You know the only one that cares about my tax return are the reporters…”
He says his business will be turned over to his two sons, who will continue to work deals in the U.S while he is President but not foreign deals.
As for his daughter Ivanka, President-Elect Trump says she will have no involvement with the Trump organization or in his administration – for now.
He also addressed the border wall with Mexico, saying he’ll start building right away.
“Mexico in some form and there are many different forms, will reimburse us… and they
will reimburse us for the cost of the wall."
Trump also named David Shulkin as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, not former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.
(C) WLNE-TV 2017
