Clapper Backpedals on Claim Russia Swung the Election for Trump: It’s an ‘Informed Opinion’

BRENNAN: Well, you said in your book, one of the more controversial statements that you made in your conclusion, is that Russian influence campaign did end up helping to swing the election towards President Trump.

CLAPPER: Right.

BRENNAN: What did you conclude that on the basis of? Because you acknowledge it was a very narrow margin of votes that made a difference here.

CLAPPER: Right.

First of all, I need to stress, Margaret, that the intelligence community assessment that we — official intelligence community assessment that rendered and delivered, published on the 6th of January, and briefed then president-elect Trump at Trump Tower, made no call on whether or not the Russian meddling had any impact on the outcome of the election.

BRENNAN: Right.

CLAPPER: Didn’t have the authority or the capabilities or the resources to do that.

But, as a private citizen, having a good understanding of what the Russians actually did and how massive it was, and multidimensional it was, and how many voters it touched, and the fact that the election turned on less than 80,000 votes in three states, to me, it stretches credulity to think that the Russians didn’t have profound impact that could have swung the election.

This is not an indictment of anybody who voted for President Trump. It is an indictment of the Russians and a serious threat that they pose and their intent to undermine our system.

BRENNAN: But you’re saying it’s not exactly knowable whether the Clinton loss was a direct result of not campaigning in certain areas?

CLAPPER: No. No, I would call it an informed opinion.