Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, said Friday on MSNBC that it’s really Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats’ own fault that he didn’t know about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to the White House until the news broke publicly.
“If you’re going to give a speech at Aspen, call the national security adviser. Check in with the White House,” Schlapp told NBC’s Peter Alexander. “He wasn’t prepped for the interview. It is his fault…The Cabinet has an obligation to stay hooked up with the President.”
On Thursday, while giving a live televised interview at the Aspen Security Forum, Coats first heard the news that President Donald Trump had invited Putin to visit in the fall. “Okay,” he said, chuckling as the crowd laughed. “That’s going to be special.”
Trump’s aides are reportedly worried that he’ll be miffed by Coats’ reaction and take it as a personal slight.
Watch Schlapp’s comments below:
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) July 20, 2018
