U.S. President Barack Obama met with reporters today for the final press conference of 2016, before the new administration is due to take over. Live tweets below.
Sigh. pic.twitter.com/CzM3QQrIfe
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) December 16, 2016
It's sort of amazing to watch Obama, ever the Institutionalist, sipping coffee in the house on fire saying "This is fine."
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 16, 2016
Obama: “We have done everything we can to make sure they are successful”
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) December 16, 2016
The @AP's @joshledermanAP gets the first question at Obama's year-end presser
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 16, 2016
Obama says Assad will never slaughter his way back to legitimacy, needs to go: "The world should not be fooled. & the world will not forget"
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
But they can slaughter. And that's bad enough. https://t.co/9tC1hRTVXP
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) December 16, 2016
Apologies if you've heard this before… but… this is Trump press conference watch, day 142 https://t.co/oaCLBnpoPK
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 16, 2016
Obama: "It’s just been a few days since I talked to the President-elect …"
— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) December 16, 2016
Obama, asked whether he let Putin off the hook for election-meddling, and about differences with Trump on Russia. Obama replies 1/
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Clinton says Putin compromised U.S. election because in 2011 she said Russia's election that year was rigged. https://t.co/9o3bLc0VpL
— Anthony De Rosa (@Anthony) December 16, 2016
Obama says he hopes Trump “is going to similarly be concerned with making sure we don’t have foreign influence in our election process.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Obama: "Based on uniform intelligence assessments, the Russians were responsible for hacking the DNC."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
i guess it's gonna be no-drama-Obama till the very end.
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) December 16, 2016
Obama said he didn't speculate on Russia's motives b/c "I wanted to make sure everyone understood that we were playing this thing straight."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Obama essentially saying Trump knew Russia had hacked Dems before the election–because it was IN THE NEWS.
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 16, 2016
Obama's concern for "integrity of election process" plainly isn't shared by the Republican party. GOP plays hardball. Dems play go fish.
— Dan Gillmor (@dangillmor) December 16, 2016
THIS is your press conference today, Obama? Really? pic.twitter.com/BIwjbob6f9
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) December 16, 2016
The hackers wanted our electoral process to be questioned. Trump was doubting it also. Obama says he didn't want to make it worse. (2)
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) December 16, 2016
Obama not inspiring a ton of confidence (ok, none at all) that U.S. will retaliate against Russia for hacking.
— Joshua Green (@JoshuaGreen) December 16, 2016
Obama says no regrets on how he handled hack announcement. He didn't want to further questions about integrity of elections (1)
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) December 16, 2016
this is like when Trump went to Mexico city
— Tim Dickinson (@7im) December 16, 2016
Obama says it highlights constant challenge we have cycbersecurty. We are a digitized culture there is hacking going on every single day.
— Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) December 16, 2016
POTUS says over past 8 years, he has been "obsessed" w cybersecurity upgrades
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) December 16, 2016
this is like a google earnings call — a master class in saying very little using many words
— ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) December 16, 2016
Obama said he told Russia to "stop it" and that "there will be consequences"
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 16, 2016
Obama, clearly sensitive to accusations that he didn't come down hard enough on Russia, has repeated a few times that he confronted Putin.
— Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) December 16, 2016
Seriously, Hillary's server sounds pretty damn good these days. Only server in the freaking US not hacked by the Russians… https://t.co/AFFYqQtH5r
— Nathan G (@nwg83) December 16, 2016
Obama: Priority is create some int'l norms. US vulnerable, because economy is more digital than some others. Need to beware of escalation
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Obama: “Our goal continues to be to send a clear message to Russia not to do this to us, because we can do stuff to you.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
That being said, re. retaliation: "We can do stuff to you." Some things, Obama says, people might notice. Others will be done privately
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Obama so far at press conf sounds more concerned that election was SEEN as being proper, rather than being sure it actually was.
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) December 16, 2016
Obama says the U.S. will retaliate against Russia in a "thoughtful, methodical way" — some of it public, some of it only Russia will know.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Another hit on media: Obama says he doesn't think Hillary Clinton was treated fairly in the coverage.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) December 16, 2016
This is *always* the way he is at these moments. https://t.co/wzh7gid0H9
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 16, 2016
POTUS criticizes media coverage of HRC: "I think the coverage of her and the issues was troubling"
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) December 16, 2016
Unclear what the "stuff" is and if it's being done covertly https://t.co/NUWXgeWB2x
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 16, 2016
Obama's using this press conference not to blast Putin or Trump to subtweet the Clinton campaign and the DNC
— Tim Dickinson (@7im) December 16, 2016
Obama again critiquing Clinton campaign for not focusing enough on non-coastal Dems who switched to Trump.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) December 16, 2016
This is more or less the unanimous feeling of the left side of my twitter feed. https://t.co/cRirPrCUbi
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 16, 2016
President Obama is acting like a flight attendant trying not to freak out as the plane is going down. He should be acting like the captain.
— Jena Friedman (@JenaFriedman) December 16, 2016
Obama: "You idiots. You're all damned idiots and you all wrecked the whole thing, and I'm goddamn done with you. Done."
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) December 16, 2016
We really did elect the absolute temperamental opposite. Remember that as you channel your frustration at Institutionalist-in-Chief.
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 16, 2016
That's not the guy he is. You may not like it, but it's plain. We've just elected the opposite of that guy, and now we'll see how that works https://t.co/Gi5zHtks7U
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) December 16, 2016
Things Obama has declined to say:
– FBI/CIA are wrong to raise legitimacy Qs
– HRC is wrong to say it helped her lose
– Trump wasn't told— Elias Itzkovitz (@eliasisquith) December 16, 2016
Obama: “I can assure the public that there was not the kind of tampering with the voting process that was a concern"
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) December 16, 2016
Obama didn't really answer the "free and fair" election question. His answer was limited to the voting machines being hacked.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) December 16, 2016
… Obama's job is not to soothe your emotions & make you feel better. His job right now is to ensure a peaceful transition of power
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) December 16, 2016
Obama: "We will provide evidence that we can safely provide" on Russian hacking, but says in cyber world most of that is classified.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) December 16, 2016
"People should listen to what the intelligence communities have to say."
— Elias Itzkovitz (@eliasisquith) December 16, 2016
He is doing his damnedest not to answer the Q about Trump's/Tillerson's relationship with Putin
— Elias Itzkovitz (@eliasisquith) December 16, 2016
“. . . except oil, and gas, and arms,” he continued. Kind of a big “except.” https://t.co/j7oTokkWMJ
— Kia Makarechi (@Kia_Mak) December 16, 2016
Obama: I'll be honest, no declassifying of information on hacking/doxing. "We don't want them (the hackers) to know that we know"
— Marina Petrillo (@alaskaHQ) December 16, 2016
"A third of [Republican] voters approve of … the former head of the KGB. Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave."
— Elias Itzkovitz (@eliasisquith) December 16, 2016
Obama mocks Republicans angry at him for not saying sooner that Russia was trying to help Trump: "Come on." Hints it was obvious.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) December 16, 2016
Obama says report on Russia will be out before the end of his term
— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) December 16, 2016
Obama says information he has seen gives him "great confidence" that Russia was responsible for DNC/Podesta hacks
— Gideon Resnick (@GideonResnick) December 16, 2016
Obama: "When the report comes out before I leave office…." Oh?
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) December 16, 2016
Obama is dancing around his main point: Russia didn't create Trump; the GOP did, by lurching to the right and shredding democratic norms.
— Gregg Carlstrom (@glcarlstrom) December 16, 2016
Obama says with “great confidence” Russia hacked the DNC and @JohnPodesta. And “not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Amazing, though. A man whose first major national speech in 2004 was: There is no red America and blue America. Just the US of America 1/
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
2/ holds maybe his last presidential newser saying there's SO MUCH a red and blue America that a hostile foreign actor can swing an election
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Obama says it couldn't have happened without Putin knowing about it. Still not saying that Putin ordered or directed it.
— Kim Zetter (@KimZetter) December 16, 2016
POTUS seems to keep stressing, in cordial terms, that Trump will have a rather rude awakening on January 21st
— ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) December 16, 2016
POTUS "Our vulnerability to Russia or any foreign power is directly related to how divided,partisan,dysfunctional our political process is."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Depressed Democrats who were hoping for "fierce urgency of now" from Obama instead are getting "arc of the moral universe is long."
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) December 16, 2016
"domestic propagandists"
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) December 16, 2016
Obama: "Our vulnerability to Russia…is directly related to how divided, partisan, dysfunctional our political process is."
— Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) December 16, 2016
Obama is refusing to go for Trump's jugular – in one way, this avoids giving them the underdog advantage. Not much to argue.
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) December 16, 2016
Asked about Trump statements, Obama says there's a "different vibe" when you're out of power than when in power.
— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) December 16, 2016
I think it's pretty clear that Obama takes the election of the birther-in-chief personally.
— Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan) December 16, 2016
Big picture, that's kind of today's story: Entered office hoping to bridge divides. Now: divide's so big he says it's threatening democracy
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
If we only had proof @realDonaldTrump asked foreign powers to interfere with our election. Hmm, where should we look?https://t.co/dgVInX21rl
— Tea Pain (@TeaPainUSA) December 16, 2016
Obama says he has advised Trump that on foreign policy changes, “make sure you’re doing it in a systematic, deliberate, intentional way.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
Obama gave good advice to Trump about not meeting w/ more foreign leaders until he his advisor team is in place and they can brief him
— Kim Zetter (@KimZetter) December 16, 2016
"Where does my presidency leave us? Leaves us in a good spot if we make good decisions going forward.”—Obama, joking to @politico
— Xeni Jardin (@xeni) December 16, 2016
Says if Trump is going to take US relations in new direction (Taiwan/China) he should do it intentionally/thoughtfully not mistakenly https://t.co/zG0Xi2K7tl
— Kim Zetter (@KimZetter) December 16, 2016
There are no saviors, no deus ex machina. There will be no moonshots. There is only politics.
— David Kaib (@DavidKaib) December 16, 2016
we all have resting Obama face rn pic.twitter.com/nMDuaAF76s
— Tim Dickinson (@7im) December 16, 2016
Last POTUS wink? (h/t @mj_lee) pic.twitter.com/LajBKH2LNq
— Yule Brenna ? (@brennawilliams) December 16, 2016
Obama on the Electoral College. "It is the American people's job, and now the Electors' job, to decide my successor. It is not my job. 1/
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Obama continued: "…I've provided a lot of information about what happened." "It's not in my hands now. It's up to them."
— Alexander Panetta (@Alex_Panetta) December 16, 2016
Obama: “If we look for one explanation or one silver bullet or one easy fix for our politics, then we’re probably going to be disappointed.”
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) December 16, 2016
At no point did Obama defend the legitimacy of the Trump presidency or argue people should treat him as they would any other PEOTUS
— Elias Itzkovitz (@eliasisquith) December 16, 2016
“You cannot argue that we are not better off. We are.” — Obama
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) December 16, 2016
We really just don't have the range as a country
— Vann R. Newkirk II (@fivefifths) December 16, 2016
"why didnt obama go beastmode"
obama's beastmode is calm, like all of his other modes. are you new?— Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 16, 2016
News conference ran 1hr 27 mins. His answers were unusually long. Only 7 reporters called on: AP, CNN, Bloomberg, NBC, ABC, NYT, Politico.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 16, 2016