Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he believes it would have been inappropriate for him to speak to then-candidate Donald Trump about Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
“It wasn’t my place to do that,” Clapper said during a Friday interview with “The Chris Stigall Show.” “I was reporting to the then-government, the executive branch policymakers. But for me to pick up the phone and call a political candidate would not have been appropriate.”
Trump has criticized the FBI and Justice Department under the Obama administration for embedding a spy in his campaign during the 2016 election as the probe into Russian meddling was going on.
The confidential informant, identified as Stefan Halper, met with three Trump campaign advisers.
Democrats who participated in a confidential briefing with FBI and Justice Department officials have said there is “no evidence” a spy was embedded in the campaign, and this week, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said he believes the bureau acted appropriately.
Gowdy was one of the Republicans in attendance at the briefing.
Clapper, who is promoting a new book, said the Russians pose a grave threat to the nation.
“The Russians, they present a profound threat to this country and one of the main reasons and catalyst for writing the book was the Russian interference,” Clapper stated. “That’s what most disturbs me and what I’m trying to alert the American public about.”
