Obama: Russians, Trump Campaign Linked

This was not a secret running up to the election! The president-elect in some of his political events specifically said to the Russians, ‘Hack Hillary’s emails so that we can finally find out what’s going on, and confirm our conspiracy theories.’ You had what was very clear relationships between members of the president-elect’s campaign team and Russians, and a professed shared view on a bunch of issues.

— President Obama, drawing a direct line between President-elect Donald Trump’s team and Russia’s attempt to sway the presidential election, the Daily Beast reports.

Obama Approval Hits Second-Term High

50% to 43%

President Obama’s job approval rating, his highest score since right after he won reelection four years ago, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Most interesting: “Obama’s policies have helped the nation’s economy, 44% of voters say, as 38% say his policies have hurt the economy and 16% say his policies haven’t made a difference. But only 21% of voters say Obama’s policies have helped their personal financial situation, as 33% say these policies have hurt them personally and 44% say they’ve made no difference.”

Obama Urges GOP Leaders to Withdraw Trump Support

The question they have to ask themselves is: If you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable, why are you still endorsing him? … This isn’t a situation where you have an episodic gaffe. This is daily. There has to be a point at which you say, this is not somebody I can support for president of the United States, even if he purports to be a member of my party. The fact that that has not yet happened makes some of these denunciations ring hollow.

— President Obama, in his strongest denouncement of Donald Trump so far, said Trump is “unfit to serve as president” and urged the leaders of the Republican Party to withdraw their backing for his candidacy, the New York Times reports.