There might be a new way to sum up Edward Snowden’s time in Russia: The Bourne Asylum. At least, that’s how Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) thinks young Americans view the fugitive.
McCain appeared on ‘Fox News Sunday‘ this week, where he spoke with host Chris Wallace about the National Security Agency leaker, who was granted a year-long asylum in Russia. The Arizona Senator criticized young Americans for having a glorified view of Snowden.
“There is now a large percentage of Americans, particularly young Americans, who feel Mr. Snowden is some kind of a whistleblower, when we know that he betrayed his oath of office,” McCain said. “There’s a young generation that believe he is some kind of Jason Bourne.”
Wallace asked if McCain supported President Barack Obama’s recently announced NSA reforms — which include increased transparency and tightening the collection of Americans’ phone records — or if they would make America more vulnerable to terrorists. The Senator responded that he wasn’t necessarily against the President’s proposals, but that there needed to be “careful balance.”
He then implied that Obama might have an uphill battle with convincing youth that his reforms will really provide sufficient boundaries for government power.
“Right now, as I mentioned, there’s kind of a generational change here,” he said. “Young Americans do not trust this government. Without trust in government, you can’t do a lot of things.”
