Assange praises Trump for bringing 'opportunities for change'

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says he had “mixed” feelings about the election's outcome but offered praise for President-elect Donald TrumpDonald TrumpWarren applauds travel ban ruling: 'Muslim ban is now 0 for 2 vs the Constitution' Trump draws comparisons to Andrew Jackson in Nashville Mexican candidate: Trump's approach to immigrants is 'neofascism' MORE. 

In an interview with Italian newspaper la Republicca, Assange favorably compared Trump to rival Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonPlea deal reached in DC pizza shop incident Chris Evans: 'I feel fury' about Trump win How Congress can help President Trump write the next chapter of US policy in Iraq MORE, saying at least the president-elect was “not a DC insider.” 

“He is part of the wealthy ruling elite of the United States, and he is gathering around him a spectrum of other rich people and several idiosyncratic personalities,” Assange said in the interview, which was first reported by the Guardian. 

Assange suggested Trump’s incoming administration was a “weak structure,” but he noted that could create an opportunity for change in Washington. 

“They do not by themselves form an existing structure, so it is a weak structure which is displacing and destabilizing the pre-existing central power network within DC,” he said.

“It is a new patronage structure which will evolve rapidly, but at the moment its loosens means there are opportunities for change in the United States.”

Assange said it could be “change for the worse and change for the better.” 

WikiLeaks released a series of documents harmful to Clinton throughout the campaign, many of which came from hacks of the Democratic National Committee as well as Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's personal email.

The U.S. intelligence community has publicly said Russia was behind the hacks, and a CIA assessment reportedly concluded the Kremlin was specifically trying to help Trump win.

Assange has denied the documents came from Russia. On Election Day, he posted a statement denying that the document leaks were meant to back any specific candidate. 

He insisted that he only published documents about Clinton because he didn't receive any leaks from Trump's side.