Burnett. Outfront tonight breaking news. Donald trump praising Vladimir Putin. Tweeting great move on delay by v. Putin, i always knew he was very smart. This after the russian president shocked many today saying hes going to do many in response to president obamas decision to expel 35 russian spies and sanctions over meddling in the election. And throughout the day this russian plane is said to be on its way to the u. S. To pick up the diplomats the president has now accused of spying. Moments ago republican senator john mccain making it clear russia will pay a price for its cyberattacks. When you attack a country it is an act of war. This amid escalating tensions between the two nations but for now putin says he will not retaliate. Hes even inviting the kids of u. S. Diplomats to a party at in kremlin. Sunland, this tweet by the president elect already being picked up by the russians. It was only a matter of minute, kate really before the Russian Embassy and the u. S. Retweeted that tweet of donald trump. Of course that praise of Vladimir Putin where he said, great move on delay by v. Putin. I always knew he was very smart. It is notable that is the only thing donald trump had said today. And notable that he has yet nor anyone on his Transition Team has not indicated whether he will either reverse the sanctions or leave them in place once he takes office after being sworn in an january 20th. But certainly we can sense a lot already about what direction hes moving with a tone of the tweet today and the Statement Last night when he said in essence lets move on from all of this. Going into next week donald trump will get an intel briefing from members of the Intelligence Community where they likely will put forward their evidence they have to reach those conclusions that donald trump and his team have been very skeptical. Well see if that briefing changes any of that. Sunland thank you so much. And tonight a Senior Obama Administration official acknowledges the president elect could of course reverse president obamas sanctions if he wants once he takes office. Athena jones is outfront with more. Reporter a caravan of vehicles spotted leaving this maryland compound used by russian diplomat, headed for the Russian Embassy in washington. Coming after the Obama Administration ordering the shutting of the site and told 35 russian spies to leave the country within 72 hours. In a surprise move russian president Vladimir Putin appeared to shrug off the administrations actions. After russian officials promised a series of Counter Measures would be announced today, putin changed course saying in a statement we will not create problems for american diplomats. With we will not send anyone away. Even extending this unusual invitation to the children of u. S. Diplomats there. Saying in a tweet, i invite all children of u. S. Diplomats to the new years and Christmas Show at the crekremlin, signed Vladimir Putin. Contradicting his foreign minister who proposed expelling u. S. Diplomats in response. The u. S. Administration without any facts without any proof declared a new wave of sanctions against the russian federation. We cannot let such escapades happen without response. Putin appears to be waiting for president elect trump to take office signaling once again he expecting to have warmer relations with president obamas successor. Meanwhile the white house is defending and explaining its moves. Were putting forward a set of actions that are designed to respond to and impose consequences for russias aggressive activity. So included in that is this expugs of these intelligence officers. As for the operators being kicked out of the u. S. , the Russian Embassy was said russia was sending a plane to bring them back home. Some expulsions based on the west coast. A tweet condemning what they call an unfriendly and completely unjustified step being taken by the outgoing administration. And speaking of the outgoing administration, president obamas critics on capitol hill have been slamming him for what they call years of failed policy towards russia starting with his attempt to reset relations between the two countries. Meanwhile president putin something. Bob we talked through the the day and as hours change things change with regard to whats going on here. Vladimir putin today announcing hes not going hit back against the u. S. With regard to the sanctions they put in place. And he went even this extra step that is boggling my mind of inviting all of the children of u. S. Diplomats in russia to the new years eve party. Do you believe him . No. I dont believe him. I think he hacked the elections. The dncs emails. The fbi had come out today and put out a report today. This is forensic information. He is manipulating. He manipulated our election. And now hes manipulating our politics. The fact they didnt expel any american diplomats from moscow and he durns around and says trump is just the man we can deal with this is just extraordinary and in my many, many years working in National Security ive never seen anything like this. And the fact that trump has not reacted is incredible. This fbi information is forensic. It is the same sort of evidence they send people to jail on. It is computer dna. It is indisputable at this point. It is interesting you lay it out that way. Former new york city mayor Rudy Giuliani was speaking today and he said in this about the integration that president obama is working off huff. He wants donald trump to get his own people to gather a new Intelligence Report on this alleged russian hack. You have been one of the guys in the field gathering this information. Is the intelligence that donald trump will be working off of different from whether president obama is looking at . It is going to be the same stuff. But what giuliani misses, this isnt intelligence. This isnt assessments. This isnt people trying to get into putins mind. This is forensics. It is dna. And this is what they are all missing and it is every single Intelligence Agency in the United States government that this is just a fact. And the fbi director wasnt exactly friendly to Hillary Clinton in the elections. Opening the investigation in her emails. So this is not completely politicized. The answer trump should give is let me see the evidence. Let me decide but what he cant say is im going to bring my own people in and whos that . Private contractors . Friends . It is difficult to see where this is going but i find it highly disturbing. Hes meeting with Intelligence Leaders next week. Well see if his assessment and posture changes on this. Outfront now. Republican congressman from new york, member of the House Foreign Affairs committee. Kmob, thanks so much. Good to see you. Today putin said hes not going to hit back after the sanctions. After that trump sent out his message on twitter. He writes great move on delay by v. Putin. I always knew he was very smarlt. Congressman, do you agree with donald trump that Vladimir Putin is very smarlt here. This situation that we face the reality with russia happens to be very complex. Right now were talking a cybersecurity. Cyberattacks. But i just got back from afghanistan yesterday. In that region afghanistan, pakistan, syria, turkey. As the challenging graph map. The entire world right now with those challenges. Isolated to the course of the last couple days, i do believe putin is outsmarting president obama with his response. Hes been allowed to take the high road, be magnanimous is it really taking the high road if you are the one whos first accused of starting this whole thick by hacking into our election system . This is just a very it is like a complicated inside baseball game that putin with his messaging, using twitter and communicating with the rest of the world. If you look at the realignment in the middle east, where syria is, there is a truce being negotiated with russia and turkey. And the United States isnt even involved. So i think it is more of a messaging, outsmarting over the course of the last couple of days. But, you know, it is impossible to defend the guy though. When it is so complex as you say, do you like that the president elect that is his only message that hes hearing. One that Vladimir Putin complements saying hes very smart and also what he heard yesterday that we all need to move on to bigger and Better Things with regard to the hacks to russia. Do you like that . Well what i would like is knowing that the United States plan is thinking six, ten, fifteen steps ahead. And right now with president obama announcing the sanctions. With a president elect coming in just a few weeks, i want more of a confidence that a year ago we could have been negotiating a troous. Couldnt even bring rugs russians to the table. Now it is impossible to negotiate a truce without having russia at the table. As i was leaving the airport yesterday the foreign syrian Prime Minister who defected who was leads the Opposition Movement was there with us in the arptd. And to think you cant sit down with him and assad and those players without bringing in the russians, we need to start thinking literally on so many fronts all across the map six, ten, fifteen steps ahead. And that is the way putin is thinking towards us and hes gaining an edge and hes doing that while were just taking it one step at a time. Putins gaining an edge you think. Do you think Vladimir Putin t russians were behind the hack in the first place . You know, listen. The report that came out between the fbi and dhs, i read the report. There are certain things that are missing in it. Im a little concerned. Id like to get the answers to certain questions that i have. It doesnt mention wikileaks. It references a couple of actors but doesnt describe the connections between those actors and the russian governments. It was a very brief report. They used large font and big pictures with a lot of holes in it. With that said president obama said that next week hes going to be providing a lomt of important intelligence to congress and i hope the questions we have we could fill in those dots because we need to move forward united in order to tackle this threat. Cybersecurity, this is a huge but congressman, you have got Many Republican members of congress who are not balking to say they believe that Vladimir Putin in russia is behind this attack. Do you believe russia is behind the hack . Yeah. I that makes by far the most amount of sense. However i have questions that as a member of congress, i have asked entitled to get answers that unfortunately the report is still leaving open. So, you know, we have a huge threat that goes way beyond hacking. The dccc. The dnc. John podesta. We want information as it relates to but we have can we just get one more answer. Do you think these sanctions should stand that obama put in place or reverse it . If he could use it, leverage it as part of a bigger plan that were moving in the right direction and rea i lining things around the map back to the way they are supposed to be then yes he should and make it work. But it needs to be part of a larger plan and not just one step at a time. Always great to see you congressman. Thank you. Outfront next. Team trump accuses president obama of undermining the transition. Is the president intentionally throwing roadblocks in the way . And another top performer quits rather than perform of trumps inauguration. Why she refuses to take the stage. And some of the worlds most feared leaders. Why do you think they will get along with trump. The world is full of surprising moments. Theyre everywhere. And as a marriot rewards member, i can embrace them all. The new marriott portfolio of hotels now has 30 brands in over 110 countries. So no matter where you go, you are here. Join or link accounts at members. Marriott. Com. Freshly made in the tokyojapanese tradition, each batch is small. Special. Unique. Every bowl blurring the line between food. And art. When you cook with incredible ingredients. You make incredible meals. Fresh ingredients. Stepbysteprecipes. Delivered to your door, for less than 9 a meal. Get 30 off your first delivery blueapron. Com cook. Tonight is president obama playing politics with russia . President elect Donald Trumps team slamming the president over the timing of punishments against moscow for u. S. Election hacks. It is just the latest chapter though under the very rocky relationship between obama and trump. Souzain melo is outfronuzanne reporter trump applauding putins move to wait for trump to take office before responding to president obamas decision to expel Russian Diplomats and new sanctions. This comes on the heels of a back and forth week in which trump has blasted president obama. Tweeting he thought it was going to be a smooth transition, not. Tru. To trump saying it was going smoothly. Now the president elect and his team characterizing the showdown with russia and the white house as politically motivated. Even those sympathetic to obama on most issues are saying part of the reason he did this was to box in president elect trump. That would be very unfortunate if that were the motivating factor here, politics. Trumps team continuing to dismiss the assessment on cyberattacks. Weve been talking about this for a while. I think that all we heard all through the election was russia russia russia when it came to anything donald trump said or did it seemed most days and now since the election its just this fever pitch of accusations and insinuations. Trump supporter former new york mayor Rudy Giuliani suggesting the president elect not bother. I would urge President Trump when he becomes President Trump have his own intelligence people do their own report and then bang them back really hard. As Top Senate Republicans john mccain and Lindsay Graham prepare to hold hearings and consider harsher sanctions against russia. But Reince Priebus and the warns the American People may not have appetite for another conflict. Were not interested in going to war all over the world either. Over twitter, immediately praising putin to the top of his profile so it is the first thing people say visiting his page. And. All playing out on twitter, of course. Outfront now former republican senator and president ial candidate Rick Santorum and former mayor michael nutter. It seems anyway the president took these steps to box in the president elect. Some even think it goes a step further. I am completely convinced that Barack Obamas primary motivation is to try to delegitimize the election. Senator, do you agree with him . I think that is certainly one of the motives that the president is using. The idea that you wait a few weeks before you presidency ends to handle a problem thats been ongoing and serious one for the country, where the president has not responded at all. Hes been completely feckless in dealing with russia on a variety of fronts and not the least of which on the cyberside to. Wait till after the election and use everyone talks about the hack. Some of this wasnt even a hack. It was a basic a phishing exedition where one of the dnc officials gave a password. That is not a hack. That is just criminal activity that russia or maybe somebody else took advantage of. This this is clearly political and not one that i think is going to go down as a bright spot for the obama presidency. I think you are absolutely wrong. You know president obama is taking these actions, a because hes actually the president of the United States of the america. Mr. Trump is not yet. There is only one president at a time. Secondly the administration has taken numerous actions over the course of president obamas tenure. You may not be necessarily privy our myself for the general public but certainly our Intelligence Community has been dealing with these issues for some time. Michael name one. Hey senator, senator, let me finish. Third, the fact of the matter is that president obama has been very diligent in dealing whetit this particular issue even though the Intelligence Community knew before the election this was taking place. And if he had taken these actions before the election im sure wed be having a different debate. He took his time and got a report from the Intelligence Community which apparently will be released next week. I think it is fairly con cluszive and hes doing what hes doing. Hes still the president until january 20th and heme continue to act that way. President obama is planning to head to capitol hill next week to huddle with democrats to figure how to block donald trump from removing obamacare. Can you understand though why trumps team are at least worried or not even worried, they are suggesting and saying that obama is trying to box them in with regard to russia . Well, you know, unfortunately this is some of the whining that goes on in the transition of power. But when you brag you are going to remove one of the most important piece of the legislation in modern times you could imagine. Anyone could see that the president is going to try to keep the Affordable Care act, obamacare, if you will, in place. So that cannot be a surprise. This