Brennan on Trump’s Congratulatory Call to Putin: Russia ‘May Have Things’ They Can Use Against POTUS
Former CIA director John Brennan appeared on Morning Joe today in order to tear into Donald Trump and express his view that the president doesn’t criticize Russia because Vladimir Putin really might have leverage over him.
In the last few weeks, Brennan unleashed several scathing criticisms about Trump’s performance, his policies, and his animosity with members of the intelligence community. When asked to elaborate on Wednesday, Brennan blasted Trump for his political mistakes and talked about how a constitutional crisis will surely happen if Robert Mueller is fired from the Russia investigation.
“I think the president has shown a lack of understanding of international affairs as well as a real ignorance of what it takes to be president of the United States,” Brennan said. “He is mean-spirited, he is dishonest, he has shown a lack of integrity, and he has continued to, I think, demean the office of the presidency.”
Brennan eventually joined in with the public outrage over the reports that Trump congratulated Putin for winning Russia’s sham elections even after being advised “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.” When asked why Trump cannot bring himself to put pressure on Putin, Brennan had this to say:
“I think he is afraid of the Russian president. They may have something on him personally that they can always roll out and make his life more difficult. Clearly I think it’s important for us to improve relations with Russia, but the fact that he has had this fawning attitude toward Mr. Putin, not said anything negative about him, I think continues to say to me that he does have something to fear and something very serious to fear.”
Brennan was asked to clarify at multiple points as the interview continued, and he continued to say it was “possible” that Russia “may have things that they could expose and reveal” about Trump.
Watch above, via MSNBC.
[Image via screengrab]
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