Clapper Admits Obama Is Responsible for Setting Off the Mueller Investigation

COOPER More of our ░░░░░░░░ news tonight in that ░░░░░░░░ news interview President Trump ░░░░░░░░ out at the leadership ░░░░░░░░ America s intelligence agencies ░░░░░░░░ he became President As ░░░░░░░░ even though you might ░░░░░░░░ used it by now ░░░░░░░░ language is both harsh ░░░░░░░░ remarkable to hear from ░░░░░░░░ sitting President clip starts ░░░░░░░░ Do you think any ░░░░░░░░ agencies U S intelligence ░░░░░░░░ are out to get ░░░░░░░░ TRUMP Well certainly in ░░░░░░░░ past it s been ░░░░░░░░ You look at Brennan ░░░░░░░░ look at Clapper you ░░░░░░░░ at Hayden you look ░░░░░░░░ Comey you look at ░░░░░░░░ you look at Strzok ░░░░░░░░ his lover Lisa Page ░░░░░░░░ look at other people ░░░░░░░░ the FBI that have ░░░░░░░░ fired that are no ░░░░░░░░ there Certainly I can ░░░░░░░░ have any confidence in ░░░░░░░░ past but I can ░░░░░░░░ a lot of confidence ░░░░░░░░ the present and the ░░░░░░░░ because it s getting ░░░░░░░░ be now where we ░░░░░░░░ putting our people in ░░░░░░░░ in the past no ░░░░░░░░ have no confidence in ░░░░░░░░ guy like Brennan I ░░░░░░░░ he s total low ░░░░░░░░ I have no confidence ░░░░░░░░ Clapper You know Clapper ░░░░░░░░ me a beautiful letter ░░░░░░░░ I first went to ░░░░░░░░ and it was really ░░░░░░░░ And then all of ░░░░░░░░ sudden he s gone ░░░░░░░░ because they got to ░░░░░░░░ and they probably got ░░░░░░░░ to say things that ░░░░░░░░ he doesn t even ░░░░░░░░ But no I certainly ░░░░░░░░ t have confidence in ░░░░░░░░ people You look at ░░░░░░░░ s happened Take a ░░░░░░░░ at all of the ░░░░░░░░ that have gone on ░░░░░░░░ hard to have confidence ░░░░░░░░ that group clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Joining me by phone ░░░░░░░░ former director of National ░░░░░░░░ retired Lieutenant General James ░░░░░░░░ Director Clapper the President ░░░░░░░░ they have gotten to ░░░░░░░░ since you wrote that ░░░░░░░░ beautiful letter to him ░░░░░░░░ anyone gotten to you ░░░░░░░░ No absolutely not Anderson ░░░░░░░░ mean everything I say ░░░░░░░░ everything I said I ░░░░░░░░ COOPER The 2017 assessment ░░░░░░░░ the President says he ░░░░░░░░ agrees with that was ░░░░░░░░ while you and then ░░░░░░░░ Director John Brennan were ░░░░░░░░ in office So how ░░░░░░░░ we reconcile the President ░░░░░░░░ you but apparently after ░░░░░░░░ very long time finally ░░░░░░░░ saying or saying he ░░░░░░░░ agrees with the product ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence community that ░░░░░░░░ yourself oversaw CLAPPER Yes ░░░░░░░░ this is yes as ░░░░░░░░ ve come to know ░░░░░░░░ President he is not ░░░░░░░░ stalwart for a consistency ░░░░░░░░ coherence So it s ░░░░░░░░ hard to explain that ░░░░░░░░ point I d like ░░░░░░░░ make Anderson that I ░░░░░░░░ t think has come ░░░░░░░░ very much before and ░░░░░░░░ m alluding now to ░░░░░░░░ President s criticism of ░░░░░░░░ Obama for all that ░░░░░░░░ did or didn t ░░░░░░░░ before he left office ░░░░░░░░ respect to the Russian ░░░░░░░░ If it weren t ░░░░░░░░ President Obama we might ░░░░░░░░ have done the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ assessment that we did ░░░░░░░░ set off a whole ░░░░░░░░ of events which are ░░░░░░░░ unfolding today notably special ░░░░░░░░ Mueller s investigation President ░░░░░░░░ is responsible for that ░░░░░░░░ it was he who ░░░░░░░░ us to do that ░░░░░░░░ community assess in the ░░░░░░░░ place And they got ░░░░░░░░ important point when it ░░░░░░░░ to critiquing President Obama ░░░░░░░░ You know the President ░░░░░░░░ well now you know ░░░░░░░░ s put his own ░░░░░░░░ in charge in the ░░░░░░░░ community he s confidence ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence community now ░░░░░░░░ when you talk about ░░░░░░░░ intelligence community I mean ░░░░░░░░ there are people who ░░░░░░░░ has appointed at the ░░░░░░░░ but underneath them there ░░░░░░░░ thousands and thousands and ░░░░░░░░ of employees who are ░░░░░░░░ employees who have you ░░░░░░░░ listened in on you ░░░░░░░░ signals intelligence and intercepts ░░░░░░░░ have written analyses and ░░░░░░░░ have been in the ░░░░░░░░ as case officers It ░░░░░░░░ the same intelligence community ░░░░░░░░ may be different people ░░░░░░░░ the top but the ░░░░░░░░ who are at the ░░░░░░░░ are still standing by ░░░░░░░░ assessment that was made ░░░░░░░░ it s the people ░░░░░░░░ says he didn t ░░░░░░░░ CLAPPER Exactly That is ░░░░░░░░ great point Well the ░░░░░░░░ of the U S ░░░░░░░░ community is the continuity ░░░░░░░░ the professionalism of our ░░░░░░░░ rank and file great ░░░░░░░░ and women who do ░░░░░░░░ do the things that ░░░░░░░░ just described and they ░░░░░░░░ t change So yes ░░░░░░░░ top layer there have ░░░░░░░░ some changes there a ░░░░░░░░ of key changes Notably ░░░░░░░░ director now the second ░░░░░░░░ since Trump took office ░░░░░░░░ of course the director ░░░░░░░░ national intelligence But the ░░░░░░░░ itself there s great ░░░░░░░░ which is an important ░░░░░░░░ for this country COOPER ░░░░░░░░ want to play a ░░░░░░░░ of something that FBI ░░░░░░░░ Christopher Wray said in ░░░░░░░░ in just within the ░░░░░░░░ hour Let s play ░░░░░░░░ clip starts WRAY The ░░░░░░░░ community s assessment has ░░░░░░░░ changed My view has ░░░░░░░░ changed which is that ░░░░░░░░ attempted to interfere with ░░░░░░░░ last election and that ░░░░░░░░ continues to engage in ░░░░░░░░ influence operations to this ░░░░░░░░ clip ends COOPER So ░░░░░░░░ s just hours after ░░░░░░░░ President very obviously said ░░░░░░░░ twice to an ABC ░░░░░░░░ when she asked whether ░░░░░░░░ believes the Russian interference ░░░░░░░░ ongoing And Sarah Sanders ░░░░░░░░ it back And you ░░░░░░░░ I mean I guess ░░░░░░░░ know frankly what just ░░░░░░░░ to be an absurd ░░░░░░░░ saying the President was ░░░░░░░░ the first time ever ░░░░░░░░ saying no no more ░░░░░░░░ when in fact he ░░░░░░░░ t say no no ░░░░░░░░ questions He just said ░░░░░░░░ and thank you very ░░░░░░░░ I mean to hear ░░░░░░░░ Wray I mean he ░░░░░░░░ you know he s ░░░░░░░░ an honorable person and ░░░░░░░░ he is saying what ░░░░░░░░ believes but it certainly ░░░░░░░░ what s the President ░░░░░░░░ to believe CLAPPER Well ░░░░░░░░ And to his credit ░░░░░░░░ well as that of ░░░░░░░░ Coats for speaking up ░░░░░░░░ speaking truth to power ░░░░░░░░ by the way was ░░░░░░░░ subject of the beautiful ░░░░░░░░ that President Trump alluded ░░░░░░░░ in his CBS interview ░░░░░░░░ it is not a ░░░░░░░░ hunt It is a ░░░░░░░░ serious investigation the catalyst ░░░░░░░░ which was the intelligence ░░░░░░░░ assessment that we did ░░░░░░░░ the last administration COOPER ░░░░░░░░ Clapper I appreciate your ░░░░░░░░ Thank you very much.”