White House criticizes Russia's "election meddling" claims

White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley called the recent intelligence briefing on Russian election interference efforts a "joke" pushed by the Democrats and a complicit mainstream media.

"It’s another Russia witch hunt hoax. It started when this president took over in the White House and it continues today," Fox News cited him as saying.

Gidley faulted reporters for using "shadowy" anonymous sources connected to chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff, or the intelligence community.b