Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Monday he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was “handling” President Trump as if he were an “asset” for the Kremlin.
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper: Vladimir Putin "knows how to handle an asset and that's what he's doing with the President" https://t.co/1bOnWU9hVI
— CNN (@CNN) December 18, 2017
“I think this past weekend is illustrative of what a great case officer Vladimir Putin is. He knows how to handle an asset, and that’s what he’s doing with the president,” Clapper told CNN, referring to how Putin publicly thanked Trump after a CIA tip-off thwarted a terrorist attack in St. Petersburg.
When pushed to clarify his statement, Clapper said he was using the nomenclature “figuratively.”
“You have to remember Putin’s background. He’s a KGB officer. That’s what they do. They recruit assets,” Clapper continued. “And I think some of that experience and instincts of Putin has come into play here in his managing of a pretty important account for him, if I could use that term, with our president.”
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James Clapper: Vladimir Putin is "handling" Trump like a Russian intelligence asset https://t.co/VE3FZDH5X9 pic.twitter.com/iEf2Ukl2Hj
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 19, 2017
To be clear: our country's longest-serving IC boss, a man with 50 years in the spook trade, just publicly called POTUS a Kremlin asset.
— John Schindler (@20committee) December 18, 2017
With this, Clapper is speaking for those still serving in the IC who can't. Since pretty much every spook agrees. https://t.co/FFPqQodidg
— John Schindler (@20committee) December 18, 2017
The point is figuratively or literally here really makes little difference, functionally speaking, when it's POTUS. https://t.co/5VirDqRS4r
— John Schindler (@20committee) December 19, 2017
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