Priebus, the former RNC chairman, said Trump understands that Moscow was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations. "He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia so that's not the issue" and added that Trump "is not denying that entities in Russia were behind this particular hacking campaign."

"But here's the thing that I think everyone needs to understand — when this whole thing started, it started from the Russians 50 years ago ... This is something that's been going on in our elections for many, many years." Priebus said it "happens every election period."

"In this particular case, it started way back in 2015 before either nominee of either party was chosen," Priebus said. "And it started ... as a spearfishing expedition over many different institutions."