Clapper: Both Trump and Putin ‘Are in a State of Denial About the Russian Meddling’

Perspective fr someone who ░░░░░░░░ this play out from ░░░░░░░░ inside James Clapper was ░░░░░░░░ of national intelligence at ░░░░░░░░ time and served presidents ░░░░░░░░ both parties for decades ░░░░░░░░ is an author of ░░░░░░░░ facts from a life ░░░░░░░░ intelligence He said that ░░░░░░░░ and Vladimir Putin did ░░░░░░░░ talk about the sweeping ░░░░░░░░ cyber attack in the ░░░░░░░░ election that Mueller detailed ░░░░░░░░ president is correct when ░░░░░░░░ said Mueller is correct ░░░░░░░░ there was no conspiracy ░░░░░░░░ the Trump campaign but ░░░░░░░░ doesn t make what ░░░░░░░░ Russians did any less ░░░░░░░░ Are you surprised it ░░░░░░░░ t come up between ░░░░░░░░ two Clapper No I ░░░░░░░░ not because when you ░░░░░░░░ about it both of ░░░░░░░░ are in a state ░░░░░░░░ denial about the Russian ░░░░░░░░ Obviously Putin will continue ░░░░░░░░ deny that there was ░░░░░░░░ Russian meddling So he ░░░░░░░░ in his reality world ░░░░░░░░ of course President Trump ░░░░░░░░ not want to acknowledge ░░░░░░░░ because when he does ░░░░░░░░ his mind I think ░░░░░░░░ casts doubt on the ░░░░░░░░ of his election So ░░░░░░░░ t come as a ░░░░░░░░ to anybody that they ░░░░░░░░ just not going to ░░░░░░░░ it up Even if ░░░░░░░░ president doesn t want ░░░░░░░░ talk about the 2016 ░░░░░░░░ because he thinks it ░░░░░░░░ somehow a threat to ░░░░░░░░ to the validity of ░░░░░░░░ actual election the whole ░░░░░░░░ of what will happen ░░░░░░░░ the next election and ░░░░░░░░ every election after that ░░░░░░░░ president s own intelligence ░░░░░░░░ said this is an ░░░░░░░░ threat to American democracy ░░░░░░░░ and you know I ░░░░░░░░ it somewhat ironic that ░░░░░░░░ in the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ the Obama Administration for ░░░░░░░░ doing anything Yet here ░░░░░░░░ we re approaching 2020 ░░░░░░░░ there is an ideal ░░░░░░░░ for the for President ░░░░░░░░ to make clear once ░░░░░░░░ that don t meddle ░░░░░░░░ our political processes And ░░░░░░░░ re right if we ░░░░░░░░ t do that then ░░░░░░░░ course this just in ░░░░░░░░ Russian s mind gives ░░░░░░░░ license to push the ░░░░░░░░ and to interfere in ░░░░░░░░ To that point about ░░░░░░░░ Obama Administration Sarah Sanders ░░░░░░░░ this administration unlike the ░░░░░░░░ one takes election meddling ░░░░░░░░ and we re going ░░░░░░░░ do everything that we ░░░░░░░░ to prevent it from ░░░░░░░░ A What do you ░░░░░░░░ of their characterization of ░░░░░░░░ Obama Administration reaction and ░░░░░░░░ the president doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to be holding high ░░░░░░░░ meetings or cabinet level ░░░░░░░░ on a routine basis ░░░░░░░░ if at all about ░░░░░░░░ meddling For point one ░░░░░░░░ the Obama just for ░░░░░░░░ record the Obama Administration ░░░░░░░░ take Russian meddling very ░░░░░░░░ And did things about ░░░░░░░░ For one President Obama ░░░░░░░░ directly confront Putin about ░░░░░░░░ and didn t ask ░░░░░░░░ hey are you interfering ░░░░░░░░ our election and there ░░░░░░░░ there is an element ░░░░░░░░ here in my view ░░░░░░░░ is the void of ░░░░░░░░ could only be filled ░░░░░░░░ the unique bully pulpit ░░░░░░░░ only the president occupies ░░░░░░░░ galvanize the country the ░░░░░░░░ about what the Russians ░░░░░░░░ up to and what ░░░░░░░░ might do And I ░░░░░░░░ just hope that we ░░░░░░░░ more attention to volume ░░░░░░░░ of the Mueller report ░░░░░░░░ documented an exhaustive detail ░░░░░░░░ that looking back we ░░░░░░░░ of scratch the surface ░░░░░░░░ in January 17 about ░░░░░░░░ Russian meddling That s ░░░░░░░░ big deal here And ░░░░░░░░ is the winner in ░░░░░░░░ of this Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ is sort of interesting ░░░░░░░░ you look back over ░░░░░░░░ last two years of ░░░░░░░░ Trump Administration the president ░░░░░░░░ never really made a ░░░░░░░░ to the American public ░░░░░░░░ what happened and about ░░░░░░░░ they re going to ░░░░░░░░ it from ever happening ░░░░░░░░ Would you think that ░░░░░░░░ the kind of thing ░░░░░░░░ would at least be ░░░░░░░░ speech to the nation ░░░░░░░░ as opposed to every ░░░░░░░░ comment he s made ░░░░░░░░ essentially UPD cutting the ░░░░░░░░ that it might even ░░░░░░░░ Russia Well exactly And ░░░░░░░░ course taken taking Putin ░░░░░░░░ phony assurance that there ░░░░░░░░ no meddling over that ░░░░░░░░ word of his own ░░░░░░░░ community and I say ░░░░░░░░ own intelligence community and ░░░░░░░░ the prior one and ░░░░░░░░ leaves doubt I think ░░░░░░░░ the minds of many ░░░░░░░░ and it encourages the ░░░░░░░░ to do No surprise ░░░░░░░░ president seized upon the ░░░░░░░░ York Times reporting discussed ░░░░░░░░ night and how the ░░░░░░░░ sent what they call ░░░░░░░░ investigator an undercover investigator ░░░░░░░░ meet with George Papadopoulos ░░░░░░░░ London as part of ░░░░░░░░ counterintelligence inquiry into Trump ░░░░░░░░ and Russia and the ░░░░░░░░ suggesting that it was ░░░░░░░░ or nefarious How do ░░░░░░░░ see it Well this ░░░░░░░░ a standard investigatory technique ░░░░░░░░ the FBI uses They ░░░░░░░░ it in counter terrorism ░░░░░░░░ And it is been ░░░░░░░░ the use of undercover ░░░░░░░░ undercover agents that has ░░░░░░░░ to the rolling up ░░░░░░░░ and thwarting of terrorist ░░░░░░░░ in this country And ░░░░░░░░ is a legitimate technique ░░░░░░░░ narrative obviously is spying ░░░░░░░░ the campaign No it ░░░░░░░░ trying to understand what ░░░░░░░░ Russians were doing And ░░░░░░░░ FBI has very very ░░░░░░░░ protocol for the use ░░░░░░░░ undercover agents and I ░░░░░░░░ m sure that was ░░░░░░░░ case here Director Clapper ░░░░░░░░ your time Thank you ░░░░░░░░ Anderson.