Former director of national intelligence James Clapper praised Dan Coats, the current holder of that position, for his actions regarding President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Clapper said Monday on CNN’s "New Day," Raw Story reported.
“I felt bad for Dan Coats, who is an honorable man and a great public servant… I thought, frankly, he reacted as gracefully as he could under the circumstance,” Clapper said, referring to Coats, who reacted with a laugh upon finding out during a public event that Trump and Putin would be meeting a second time.
Coats said Saturday that he meant no disrespect to Trump for what Coats called an "awkward response."
Clapper also said that he believes Putin got what he wanted at the meeting with Trump. “This was a huge reward for very bad behavior on the part of Putin,” Clapper said at another point Monday on “New Day.”
"I think Putin came off as the top dog," Clapper said.
Clapper has been a frequent critic of Trump. “I have been trying my best to give the president the benefit of the doubt…I’ve come to the conclusion, after the Helsinki performance and since, that I really do wonder whether the Russians have something on him,” Clapper said Thursday on CNN’s "New Day."
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