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James Clapper: Watergate pales in comparison to Russia probe
Former US intelligence chief: Watergate pales in comparison to Russia probe
Story highlights
- James Clapper slammed Trump in remarks to reporters in Australia on Wednesday
- Clapper also shared concerns with what he called "the internal assault on our institutions"
Washington (CNN)James
Clapper, the former Director of National Intelligence, said Wednesday
that Watergate "pales" in comparison to the controversy surrounding the
Trump administration and Russia.
Clapper
was speaking to reporters Wednesday at a National Press Club event in
Canberra, Australia, carried by Sky News, and offered a stark assessment
of the scandal gripping Washington as he recalled living through
Watergate.
"I
was on active duty then, in the Air Force, as a young officer, and it
was a scary time. But it was against the backdrop of all the
post-Vietnam trauma as well, which seemed at least in my memory
amplified -- as a backdrop -- amplified the crisis in our system,"
Clapper said.
"I
have to say, though, that I think when you compare the two, that
Watergate pales really in my view compared to what we're confronting
now," he added.
Clapper
also shared concerns with what he called "the internal assault on our
institutions," citing Trump's January tweet comparing the intelligence
community to "Nazis" and "the whole episode" with the firing of FBI
Director James Comey.
After
Trump "disparaged" the intelligence community with that "absurd
allegation" in the January tweet, Clapper said he "felt an obligation to
defend the men and women of the United States intelligence community.
So, I called him on 11 January. Surprisingly, (Trump) took my call."
Clapper
continued, "I tried, naively it turned out, to appeal to his 'higher
instincts' -- by pointing out that the intelligence community he was
about to inherit is a national treasure and that the people in it were
committed to supporting him and making him successful. Ever
transactional, he simply asked me to publicly refute the infamous 'dossier,' which I could not and would not do."
Clapper also sharply condemned a speech Trump gave before the memorial wall in CIA headquarters that commemorates employees killed in the line of duty.
Clapper: 'No doubt' Russia was behind meddling 00:50
"He
chose to use that as a prop for railing about the size of the
inauguration crowd on the Mall, and his battle with the 'fake news'
media. His subsequent actions -- sharing sensitive intelligence with the
Russians, and compromising its source, reflect ignorance or disrespect
-- are likewise very problematic," Clapper remarked.
Regarding Comey's firing, Clapper called the former FBI director a "distinguished public servant" and slammed Trump's decision.
"Apart
from the egregious, inexcusable manner in which it was conducted, this
episode reflected complete disregard for the independence and autonomy
of the FBI, our premier law enforcement organization," Clapper said.
"So, as I said, I worry about these assaults on our institutions," he added.
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