The Note: Trump's Intelligence Showdown Over Russia

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January 6, 2017

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Trump's Intelligence Showdown Over Russia

Showdown at Trump Tower as President-elect Set to Receive Intel Briefing

The man who has spent months dismissing concerns over Russia's electoral hacking and disparaging U.S. intelligence is likely to receive information that he doesn't want to hear today, reports ABC's BRIAN ROSS, JAMES GORDON MEEK, RANDY KREIDER and PAUL BLAKE. Donald Trump will meet with the Director of National Intelligence and heads of the FBI and the CIA in his New York skyscraper to receive the highly-classified report into Russia's hacking of U.S. political institutions. Overnight – just hours after President Barack Obama received the report – new details emerged of just what is contained in the secret document. A senior official briefed on the intelligence sources, methods and assessments in the report that Trump will receive this morning told ABC News that the findings are clear: the evidence points directly to the Kremlin and to Russian President Vladimir Putin in what one official described as "multiple streams and types of intelligence collection, not just forensic examinations of the hacked systems." http://abcn.ws/2jbrSPM

Sean Spicer on 'Good Morning America' Says Trump is 'Prepared to Listen' on Russia

Donald Trump is "prepared to listen and understand" how U.S. intelligence agencies determined the attempted interference of Russian and other foreign entities in U.S. elections, incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS today on 'Good Morning America.' But the president-elect will maintain a "healthy skepticism," Spicer added. ABC's MORGAN WINSOR has more. http://abcn.ws/2iIZJ5H

Intel Officials Warn About Skepticism From the Top

Intelligence chiefs testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee today on Capitol Hill pushed back against President-elect Donald Trump's public rebukes of the intelligence community, warning that a disparagement from the top could undermine the effectiveness of the workforce. Responding to a question from Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., about "who benefits president-elect trashing the intelligence community," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said, "I think there is a difference between skepticism and disparagement," suggesting Trump was engaged in the latter, notes ABC's JUSTIN FISHEL. http://abcn.ws/2j8DanW

Mexico Will Pay (US Back For) the Wall?

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted today that he would ask Mexico to reimburse the United States for the cost of building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Incoming Trump press secretary Sean Spicer told ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS this morning that Mexico would still pay for the wall and nothing was changing, citing a Trump rally in October when he said Mexico would be "reimbursing" the United States. "The idea that we're going through the appropriations process and figuring out how to pay for it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody," he said. Later this morning on CNN, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway pointed to Congress for the idea that Mexico would being paying the United States back for the wall, ABC's BENJAMIN SIEGEL, JORDYN PHELPS and RYAN STRUYK reports. "Congress, because that's where things are paid for, Congress, I guess, is investigating the possibility of paying for it to make it more speedy and then having Mexico pay for it after the fact. But that's what Congress is doing. Mr. Trump has always been very clear. And nothing has changed. He's building the wall. Mexico will pay for it." http://abcn.ws/2i0dIU1

Everything You Need to Know About Counting the Electoral Votes Today

Voters went to the polls almost two months ago, but the final step of the 2016 presidential election is still outstanding. A joint session of Congress is slated to certify the electoral votes Friday afternoon, officially ending the 2016 presidential race and electing Donald Trump the next president of the United States. Even Democrats agree there's no chance that Trump could be denied the White House. But that doesn't mean things won't get interesting -- some may take a long-shot tactic that would allow challenges to electoral ballots. ABC's RYAN STRUYK has your guide to the process. http://abcn.ws/2ij54NO

'This Week' on This Week

As his presidential term comes to a close, ABC's George Stephanopoulos sits down with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office for a final interview to reflect on his eight years in office. The wide-ranging interview will address the policies, decisions and promises the 44th president made and the mark they leave on the country's history, as well Obama's views on the transition with President-elect Donald Trump and the intelligence community's latest assessment on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election.