Biden accuses Trump of ‘dereliction of duty' over Russia bounty reports in first press briefing in nearly 3 months

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden pulled no punches when going after President Trump on Tuesday during his first press conference in 89 days.

While Biden’s press conference in Delaware was ostensibly about how he would respond to the coronavirus pandemic, the former vice president slammed the current White House occupant for his response to reports that Russian intelligence operatives offered to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants who killed U. S. troops in Afghanistan.

Trump on Sunday denied that he had been briefed about the matter before the New York Times reported on it over the weekend.

“The idea that somehow he didn’t know is a dereliction of duty if that’s the case,” Biden said while taking questions from reporters. “And if he was briefed and he didn’t do anything about it that is a dereliction of duty.”

News that Moscow allegedly offered bounties to Afghan militants who killed U. S. soldiers was first reported over the weekend in the New York Times.

The Washington Post further reported that the Russian bounties are "believed to have resulted in the deaths of several U. S. service members." And The Associated Press reported that officials said an April 2019 attack on an American convoy that killed three Marines in Afghanistan is under investigation.

Trump on Sunday denied that he and Vice President Mike Pence had been briefed on the matter – saying in a late-night tweet that U. S. intelligence services “did not find this info credible, and theref... (Read more)

Latest News