The Russian government will view the shock firing of James Comey as ‘another victory on the scoreboard for them’, according to the former National Intelligence boss.
James Clapper, who retired in January, spoke about Comey’s ousting during an interview on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday morning.
‘What’s unfolded now, here, the leader of the – the lead of the investigation about potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign has been removed. So the Russians have to consider this as a, you know, another victory on the scoreboard for them,’ the 76-year-old said.
The New York Times reported this week the president asked the then-FBI Director to pledge his loyalty to him during the private meal at the White House.
‘I spoke briefly with Director Comey about the dinner,’ Clapper told ABC on Sunday.
‘He conveyed to me that he’d been invited and he was – and this is my characterization – uneasy with it, simply because of the optic or the appearance of potentially compromising his independence and that of the bureau.’
The former Director of National Intelligence then said it is a ‘professional courtesy’ to accept such an invitation from the president, but said it would be ‘profoundly out of character’ for Comey to have given Trump any sort of loyalty promise.
During an interview Saturday night Trump denied making any such request of loyalty from Comey, but added: ‘I don’t think it would be a bad question to ask.’
Clapper continued his attack on Trump’s White House while doing the interview rounds on Sunday.
During an appearance with CNN’s Jake Tapper, he warned American institutions are under siege.
‘The developments of the past week are very bothersome, very disburbing to me,’ Clapper said.
‘I think in many ways our institutions are under assault both externally – and that’s the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system – and I think as well our institutions are under assault internally.’
When Tapper asked if ‘internally’ meant from Trump, Clapper answered, ‘exactly.’
Clapper then explained his belief that Trump is messing with the balance of the three branches of government.
‘I think the founding fathers, in their genius, created a system of three co-equal brances of government and a built-in system of checks and balances,’ Clapper said.
‘I feel as though that is under assault and it’s eroding.’
Comey was shockingly fired by Trump on Tuesday. The president has since hinted he perhaps secretly recorded conversations he had with the former director, tweeting: ‘James Comey better hope that there are no “tapes” of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!’
White House press secretary Sean Spicer refused to deny Trump had covertly recorded Comey, telling reporters on Friday: ‘The president has nothing further to add on that.’
Source: James Clapper says Russia views Comey’s firing as a win | Daily Mail Online
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