President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he did not believe that Russia was still targeting US elections, contradicting the opinion of his director of national intelligence. Speaking to reporters during a Cabinet meeting, Trump said that there has "never been a president as tough on Russia" as himself, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin "knows that better than anybody," Xinhua reported.

Asked whether he believed Russia was still trying to interfere in US elections, Trump responded: "No." Trump's comment contradicts the assessment of several US intelligence agencies, as Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats reiterated Monday that Russia had attempted to interfere in the 2016 US elections and that it was carrying out "ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy."