Despite Donald Trump’s new assertion that a country other than Russia may have been behind the 2016 election hack, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Thursday that there is “no evidence” to support such a claim.
Clapper told CNN that the president’s assertion that other countries may have been in on the hack is “news to me.”
“We saw no evidence whatsoever that there was anyone involved in this other than the Russians,” Clapper said.
Video:
Clapper: Others meddled in US election? “That’s news to me. We saw no evidence” that it was anyone other than Russia https://t.co/ufj9yMhRTi
— CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2017
When asked if he had any doubts, as Trump does, that the Russians were behind the election meddling, Clapper said, “Absolutely none.”
He also pointed out that recent Russian behavior – particularly today’s news that Moscow is ramping up spying efforts in the United States – is a sign that they are starting to “prep the battlefield” for the 2018 midterm elections.
Video:
Former DNI James Clapper: I think Russia’s goal here is to “prep the battlefield” for the 2018 elections https://t.co/lkEj7yTPQd
— CNN (@CNN) July 6, 2017
Clapper, who served as the intelligence director under President Barack Obama, added that the Russians will continue to collect intelligence and interfere in U.S. elections so long as the United States, led by Trump, refuses to “push back.”
Video:
Former DNI James Clapper says if the US doesn’t “push back,” the Russians will continue to collect US intelligence https://t.co/Kqiy602tCG
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 6, 2017
Ultimately, Trump’s refusal to stand up to the Russians and his continued effort to undermine the work of the U.S. intelligence community is doing serious damage to the United States.
Instead of retaliating after last year’s Russian attack on American democracy, Trump has kept his head buried in the sand, likely because he was the chief beneficiary of the meddling.
But as Clapper said on Thursday, “This was an assault on us,” and it could be a Republican presidential nominee who gets targeted by the Russians next time.
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