Updated at 9:25 a.m.
President Trump called former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper a “lying machine” in a tweet Saturday.
“Clapper lied about (fraudulent) Dossier leaks to CNN” @foxandfriends FoxNews He is a lying machine who now works for Fake News CNN.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018
The president was reacting to a “Fox & Friends” segment on the House Intelligence Committee report on Russian activities during the 2016 election that accuses Clapper of providing “inconsistent testimony” about his contact with the media.
The former spy chief initially said he did not speak with journalists about a secret intelligence assessment containing information regarding the opposition research dossier on then-President-elect Trump, before later admitting he discussed the dossier with CNN reporter Jake Tapper and possibly others, according to the House Intelligence report.
The report concluded Clapper “flatly denied” during a July 2017 interview with the committee “discuss[ing] the dossier [compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele] or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists.” Later in the same interview, Clapper “acknowledged discussing the ‘dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper,’ and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about the same topic.”
The report linked Clapper’s conversation with Tapper to a report that opened the door for disclosure of the dossier, which contained salacious claims about a footage involving prostitutes, just before Trump’s inauguration.
Clapper retired as DNI on the day of Trump’s inauguration and now works as a CNN analyst.
The House Intelligence report, which was released publicly Friday, with redactions, also found no evidence of “collusion, coordination, or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.” Trump celebrated this conclusion on Twitter, spuring him to call for the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion. The investigation “MUST END NOW!” he exclaimed in one tweet.,
Just Out: House Intelligence Committee Report released. “No evidence” that the Trump Campaign “colluded, coordinated or conspired with Russia.” Clinton Campaign paid for Opposition Research obtained from Russia- Wow! A total Witch Hunt! MUST END NOW!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018
House Intelligence Committee rules that there was NO COLLUSION between the Trump Campaign and Russia. As I have been saying all along, it is all a big Hoax by the Democrats based on payments and lies. There should never have been a Special Counsel appointed. Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018
Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee claim Republicans mishandled the year-long Russia investigation and say it concluded prematurely.
“Throughout the investigation, Committee Republicans chose not to seriously investigate — or even see, when in plain sight — evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, instead adopting the role of defense counsel for key investigation witnesses,” ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement Friday.
