Former DNI James Clapper Claims Current Russian Interference: After ‘Huge Success in 2016, Why Not Do Again in 2020?’

James Clapper is a retired Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force and former Director of National Intelligence under the Obama Administration. He is currently a CNN contributor, and Monday morning, he discussed news that current DNI John Ratcliffe to end in-person election security briefings with Congress, and reminded viewers of past and current Russian interference operations designed to sow dissent via social media.

Ratcliffe wrote in letters to Congress that “the ODNI will primarily meet its obligation to keep Congress fully and currently informed leading into the Presidential election through written finished intelligence products” and that this “will also better protect our sources and methods and most sensitive intelligence from additional unauthorized disclosures or misuse.”

But anchor Alisyn Camerota pivoted to the current civil unrest unfolding in places like Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon that has seen deadly shootings of protestors who appeared to have rallied in part due to Facebook groups. “You think you can see already evidence as we saw in 2016 that some of this unrest, some of this online ginning up of discord, you see Russian fingerprints?” Camerota asked.

“Absolutely, and compounding that, of course, is … disinformation they are spreading about the pandemic. And particularly how disproportionately minorities are affected by the pandemic,” Clapper replied. “And there’s no question the Russians are exploiting this. Why shouldn’t they? They had huge success in 2016. Why not do it again in 2020?”

Clapper’s allegation that Russia is currently sowing discord is not dissimilar to what unfolded in 2016 in which Russian operations promoted protests via Facebook surrounding the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, according to a report from the Senate Intelligence Committee led by GOP Senator Richard Burr. Facebook has admitted in the past that 10 million users had been served content that terminated from Russian troll farms in the run up to the 2016 election.

Watch above, via CNN.