President Trump is being “played” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, two former intelligence chiefs said on Sunday, responding to Trump’s statement that Putin “means it” when he denies the Kremlin meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
In a joint appearance on CNN's State of the Union, James Clapper, the ex-director of national intelligence, and John Brennan, the former CIA director, both slammed Trump’s remarks as naïve and dangerous.
“It’s either nativity, ignorance, or fear,” Brennan said of Trump’s take on Putin and the 2016 election.
“Putin is very clever,” Brennan said, and he is using Trump’s insecurity and his need for flattery to convince him that Russia’s intentions toward the United States are not malicious.