Clapper on Russia: Obama Was the One ‘Who Tasked Us To Do that Intelligence Community Assessment’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Joining us ░░░░░░░░ is former director of ░░░░░░░░ intelligence James Clapper author ░░░░░░░░ Facts and fears hard ░░░░░░░░ from a life of ░░░░░░░░ and was named there ░░░░░░░░ Sarah Sanders Director Clapper ░░░░░░░░ is your reaction to ░░░░░░░░ Sanders said First I ░░░░░░░░ if she was conflating ░░░░░░░░ confusing collusion whatever that ░░░░░░░░ with the Russian interference ░░░░░░░░ those of us that ░░░░░░░░ named John Brennan and ░░░░░░░░ Comey and I are ░░░░░░░░ of the group that ░░░░░░░░ tasked by President Obama ░░░░░░░░ put together all the ░░░░░░░░ we had on the ░░░░░░░░ interference Which we did ░░░░░░░░ Obama directly and personally ░░░░░░░░ Putin about the Russian ░░░░░░░░ in September and did ░░░░░░░░ accept at face value ░░░░░░░░ s protestations John Brennan ░░░░░░░░ did the same thing ░░░░░░░░ his counterpart on October ░░░░░░░░ of 16 We put ░░░░░░░░ a statement I say ░░░░░░░░ Jeh Johnson and I ░░░░░░░░ out a statement pretty ░░░░░░░░ one warning of the ░░░░░░░░ interference in our election ░░░░░░░░ is a month before ░░░░░░░░ election which unfortunately got ░░░░░░░░ out by the Access ░░░░░░░░ tape revelation On December ░░░░░░░░ the administration issued a ░░░░░░░░ of sanctions 35 Russian ░░░░░░░░ et cetera And then ░░░░░░░░ January 6th we issued ░░░░░░░░ intelligence community assessment documenting ░░░░░░░░ Russian interference in which ░░░░░░░░ had very high confidence ░░░░░░░░ the evidence that we ░░░░░░░░ to then President Elect ░░░░░░░░ at Trump Tower I ░░░░░░░░ what gives rise now ░░░░░░░░ will once again emphasize ░░░░░░░░ in that intelligence community ░░░░░░░░ there was nothing about ░░░░░░░░ because we didn t ░░░░░░░░ sufficient evidence of that ░░░░░░░░ include it And I ░░░░░░░░ so stated publicly starting ░░░░░░░░ March 4th of 2017 ░░░░░░░░ I appeared on Meet ░░░░░░░░ Press And I consistently ░░░░░░░░ we didn t have ░░░░░░░░ evidence at the time ░░░░░░░░ and it was my ░░░░░░░░ hope that the Mueller ░░░░░░░░ would resolve that once ░░░░░░░░ for all and apparently ░░░░░░░░ did Regardless of your ░░░░░░░░ stripes whether you re ░░░░░░░░ opponent or proponent of ░░░░░░░░ Trump that s a ░░░░░░░░ thing for all of ░░░░░░░░ I would just note ░░░░░░░░ my former general counsel ░░░░░░░░ lid has written an ░░░░░░░░ treatise on the nuances ░░░░░░░░ the language in the ░░░░░░░░ memorandum which without going ░░░░░░░░ it will just say ░░░░░░░░ the importance of transparency ░░░░░░░░ having access public access ░░░░░░░░ the entire report In ░░░░░░░░ of things you have ░░░░░░░░ on television subsequently however ░░░░░░░░ you ve been talking ░░░░░░░░ television do you regret ░░░░░░░░ you have said in ░░░░░░░░ of raising questions about ░░░░░░░░ president s behavior or ░░░░░░░░ of the things the ░░░░░░░░ has done or said ░░░░░░░░ I don t And ░░░░░░░░ have put that in ░░░░░░░░ in my book as ░░░░░░░░ I have concerns as ░░░░░░░░ others and I have ░░░░░░░░ to be factual and ░░░░░░░░ and moderate about it ░░░░░░░░ I do have concerns ░░░░░░░░ I don t have ░░░░░░░░ regrets And do you ░░░░░░░░ have the same concerns ░░░░░░░░ you know the president ░░░░░░░░ relationship with Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ tendency to side with ░░░░░░░░ Putin against you know ░░░░░░░░ intelligence officials or even ░░░░░░░░ current intelligence officials I ░░░░░░░░ have concerns about the ░░░░░░░░ s unwillingness or inability ░░░░░░░░ whatever to call out ░░░░░░░░ Russian interference in the ░░░░░░░░ I would just point ░░░░░░░░ that one of President ░░░░░░░░ s objectives in tasking ░░░░░░░░ to do that report ░░░░░░░░ the Russian interference was ░░░░░░░░ hand it off to ░░░░░░░░ next administration So the ░░░░░░░░ Administration would have that ░░░░░░░░ a basis for taking ░░░░░░░░ against Russia which sort ░░░░░░░░ hasn t happened in ░░░░░░░░ ways So just lastly ░░░░░░░░ ve said before that ░░░░░░░░ don t understand what ░░░░░░░░ say are the strange ░░░░░░░░ deference to Putin by ░░░░░░░░ president Does Barr s ░░░░░░░░ of Mueller s findings ░░░░░░░░ that s all we ░░░░░░░░ seen clear that up ░░░░░░░░ you at all or ░░░░░░░░ certainly want to see ░░░░░░░░ full report Well like ░░░░░░░░ else I would very ░░░░░░░░ like to see what ░░░░░░░░ actually said in his ░░░░░░░░ And hopefully answer some ░░░░░░░░ the unanswered questions that ░░░░░░░░ think still linger The ░░░░░░░░ and a half page ░░░░░░░░ that the attorney general ░░░░░░░░ which was you know ░░░░░░░░ s kind of like ░░░░░░░░ details at 11 00 ░░░░░░░░ of thing doesn t ░░░░░░░░ it Director Clapper appreciate ░░░░░░░░ being with us Thanks ░░░░░░░░ Anderson.