Clapper: ‘Naive’ to think Russia has best intentions toward US

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in a Sunday morning interview that it’s “very naive” to think Russia will act with good intentions toward the United States.

“And I think it’s very naive, and again, in fact, perilous to this country, to make an assumption that Russia is going to behave with the best interests of the world or the United States in mind. They’re not,” Clapper told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

{mosads}Clapper’s comments come after President Trump told reporters on Saturday that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin “means it” when he denies meddling in the presidential election in 2016. 

After sparking criticism with the comments, Trump later said he is “with our agencies” and that he believes Putin believes Russia did not interfere in the election.

“Putin is committed to undermining our system, our democracy and our whole process. And to try to paint it in any other way is, I think, astounding and in fact poses a peril to this country,” Clapper said in the interview.

“So the Russians do not harbor good intentions toward the United States. And there shouldn’t be any illusions or any ambiguity about that. And our president fosters that ambiguity.”