The Guardian- As Russian diplomats expelled by Barack Obama left the US on Sunday, Donald Trump’s incoming White House spokesman attempted to cast as a diplomatic triumph the president-elect’s controversial response to intelligence community reports that Moscow sought to influence the presidential election.
“That’s actually good for our country,” Sean Spicer told ABC’s This Week, referring to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision not to pursue immediate retaliation.
“So everyone wants to talk about the tweets that he sends but I want to focus on the action that he’s getting. Donald Trump’s not president yet and he’s getting action, successes and wins both abroad and here at home.”
Trump’s decision to praise Putin, question intelligence findings and repeatedly say the US should “move on” places the president-elect at odds not just with the current White House, but with his own party in Congress.
On Thursday, Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomatic personnel and the closure of estates in Maryland and New York used by embassy staff. The expelled personnel left Washington on Sunday, Reuters reported, citing a Russian news agency report.