President Trump said he was “reluctant” to trust the US intelligence community over Russian President Vladimir Putin because of “Dirty Cops” like former FBI Director James Comey — whom he accused of launching the Russia investigation to discredit his 2016 White House win.
“John Bolton, one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty, states often that I respected, and even trusted, Vladimir Putin of Russia more than those in our Intelligence Agencies,” Trump wrote in a tweet Tuesday, referring to his former national security adviser.
“While of course that is not true, if the first people you met from so called American Intelligence were Dirty Cops who have now proven to be sleazebags at the highest level like James Comey, proven liar James Clapper, & perhaps the lowest of them all, Wacko John Brennan who headed the CIA, you could perhaps understand my reluctance to embrace!” he continued.
Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence, and Brennan were among Obama administration officials who allegedly tried to reveal the identity of Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, in pursuit of the “Russian collusion” Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
Attorney General William Barr has launched an investigation into the “unmasking” of Flynn, as well as the origins of the initial Russia probe.
Attorney General William Barr has launched an investigation into the “unmasking” of Flynn.
Brennan responded to Trump on Twitter.
“It’s no surprise that @realDonaldTrump shares Putin’s deep disdain for Americans who served their country & countered Russian efforts to undermine U.S. national security,” he said in the posting. “Trump continues to do neither.”
Trump fired Comey in May 2017, and days later, Robert Mueller was named as special counsel to investigate the Trump campaign’s possible ties to Russia.
Trump took Putin’s word in 2018 in regards to meddling in the 2016 election, following one-on-one talks with the Russian leader in Helsinki.
“President Putin says it’s not Russia. I don’t see any reason why it would be,” Trump said at the time.
The US intelligence community concluded that Russia interfered in the election, along with several attempts by other foreign adversaries, which received less public attention from the intelligence community.