Update: Trump Says His Comments On Email Hack Were “Sarcastic”

Update: In a Fox & Friends interview, Trump clarified that his comments on Russia were "sarcastic," adding that it's still unclear if Russia is responsible for the DNC hack. "Of course I'm being sarcastic," Trump said on the show. "But you have 33,000 emails deleted, and the real problem is what was said on those emails from the Democratic National Committee. You take a look at what was said on those emails, it's disgraceful." This story was originally published on July 27, 2016. Donald Trump hopes that Russia hacks Hillary Clinton's emails, he said during a press conference in Florida this morning. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." "If Russia, or China, or any other country has those emails, I mean, to be honest with you, I'd love to see them," he said.

Trump's encouragement came amid questions about the hacking of the Democratic National Committee's computer servers, which may be linked to Russia, an issue he described as a "total deflection."

While daring a foreign country to commit cyber crime, the GOP presidential nominee also insisted that he has "nothing to do with Russia."

During the lengthy press conference, he also told a female reporter to "be quiet" and called President Obama "the most ignorant president in our history." Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, meanwhile, issued a statement Wednesday about the hack, saying there should be "consequences" for those responsible. "If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences," Pence said in the statement. After Trump's press conference, Jake Sullivan, senior policy adviser at Hillary for America, released a statement on Trump's remarks. "This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent," Sullivan said in the statement, provided to Refinery29. "That's not hyperbole; those are just the facts. This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue."