Trump: Comments about Russia, Clinton emails were sarcastic

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a town hall, Monday, July 25, 2016, in Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a town hall, Monday, July 25, 2016, in Roanoke, Va. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump says he was using sarcasm when he prodded Russia to unearth Hillary Clinton's missing emails. But Democrats aren't likely to let the Republican presidential nominee's extraordinary comments simply fade away.

"Of course I'm being sarcastic," Trump said Thursday on Fox News' Fox and Friends, a day after his remarks at a news conference ignited debate over hacking and his urging of a global adversary to meddle in American politics.

Trump's invitation to Russia to find and reveal emails by his rival for the White House came on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Trump's insistence that his invitation to Russia wasn't serious was backed up by his campaign chairman. "He was making a sarcastic point," Paul Manafort said Wednesday on Fox News' The Kelly File.

Democrats and some Republicans quickly condemned Trump's remarks.

The Clinton campaign called Trump's statement the "first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against a political opponent."

At the convention, Leon Panetta, former CIA director and defense secretary, said Trump is "asking a U.S. adversary to engage in hacking or intelligence efforts against the United States of America to affect an election."

Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, warned of "serious consequences" if Russia interfered in the election. And Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said bluntly: "Russia is a global menace led by a devious thug. Putin should stay out of this election."

Trump started the controversy Wednesday when he said, "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing."

He was referencing emails on Clinton's private server that she said she deleted, saying they were private, before turning other messages over to the State Department.

Read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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