Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Sunday told host Chris Wallace during an appearance on Fox News Sunday that he doesn't know if it was Russia or Ukraine who hacked the Democratic National Committee's server in 2016. "Nor do you, nor do any of us," Kennedy said.
Wallace countered that the U.S. intelligence community stands behind the assertion that it was Russia, but Kennedy apparently doesn't think that's enough and continued to give a platform to the theory that it was Ukraine.
Former National Security Council official Fiona Hill dismissed the notion during her impeachment inquiry testimony Friday, calling it a "fictional narrative." Kennedy told Wallace that Hill is entitled to her opinion, but cited the fact that "no rebuttal evidence was allowed to be offered" during the impeachment process.
WALLACE: Senator Kennedy, who do you believe was responsible for hacking the DNC & Clinton campaign? Russia or Ukraine?
KENNEDY: I don't know. Nor do you.
W: The entire intel community says it was Russia.
K: Right. But it could be Ukraine. Fiona Hill is entitled to her opinion pic.twitter.com/KQAUkWeJIo— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 24, 2019
Kennedy was criticized for giving credence to the theory, for which there is currently no supporting evidence.
It's one thing for an elected official to doubt intelligence agencies, but it's quite another for an official to push a baseless conspiracy theory obviously invented to deflect blame and confuse the public. Kennedy knows better; he voted for the Ukraine aid less than a year ago. https://t.co/zOtTe0Ewfo
— Max Kennerly (@MaxKennerly) November 24, 2019
Kennedy knows who hacked the DNC and 2016 elections. So does @LindseyGrahamSC, Marsha Blackburn, @GOPLeader, Mitch McConnell. They also know what crimes were committed in Ukraine. They’re not stupid. They just think *we’re* stupid. Their contempt for constituents is stunning. https://t.co/WIfYcyt4cV
— Joshua Zeitz (@JoshuaMZeitz) November 24, 2019