Trump calls Putin sincere, ex-US intelligence heads ‘hacks’

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and JILL COLVIN, Associated Press
Days before returning home from a whirlwind trip to Asia, President Donald Trump was back on the defensive over Russian election meddling, saying he considers President Vladimir Putin’s denials sincere, dismissing former U.S. intelligence officials as “hacks” and accusing Democrats of trying to sabotage relations between the two countries.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin