Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Wednesday said that President Donald Trump’s cavalcade of scandals surrounding the investigation into whether members of his campaign colluded with Russian officials has put the Watergate scandal to shame.
“Watergate pales, really, in my view, compared to what we’re confronting now,” Clapper said in remarks at the National Press Club of Australia.
He said Trump’s sharing of “sensitive intelligence” with Russian officials reflects “either ignorance or disrespect, and either is very problematic.”
Clapper also cited Trump’s abrupt termination of James Comey as director of the FBI.
“Apart from the egregious, inexcusable manner in which it was conducted,” Clapper said, Trump’s decision to fire Comey reflected “complete disregard for the independence and autonomy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
“I’m very interested to see what happens with Jim Comey’s hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee,” Clapper added. “I think it’ll be very significant to see both what he says and what he’s asked about and doesn’t respond to.”
About time the cracks started appearing. I mean, how fucking long did we expect the intelligence community and its alumnae to tolerate this shit before getting pissed and starting to defend themselves, etc.?
But Mr. Clapper, “what do you REALLY think?,” runs the traditional verbiage!
Watergate was at least a purely domestic affair. Nixon didn’t try to sell America out to the USSR or Red China. And Nixon at least had the decency to resign.
Clapper is now not an Eric Trump-certified human. Sad.
How much longer can chaotic presidenting by tweets and leaks of confidential information, accompanied by daily bombshell leaks from staff inside the White House continue before the entire edifice collapses? The country needs a functioning executive office. We do not have that now.