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WASHINGTON – The nation's top intelligence chief played down on Saturday President of the United States President of the United States of America. The Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, said in a statement
Mr. Coats appeared genuinely surprised on Thursday when he learned of the president's intention to welcome Mr. Putin to the White House during a televised national security conference in Aspen, Colo. Upon hearing the news, he turned to the moderator, Andrea Mitchell of NBC, asking, "Say that again?"
"O.K.," He added, drawing the word out. "That's going to be special."
In his statement, Mr. Coats also blames on the news media. "Some press coverage has been mischaracterized during my interview," he said.
Diplomats and career officials have scrambled to understand what Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are doing Meeting on Monday in Helsinki, Finland, and Mr. Coats had seemed taken aback by the prospect of another one-on-one encounter. He said that he was planning to warn the president of the dangers of such a meeting. (19659002) "I would have suggested a different way, Mr. Coats said on Thursday during the conference. "But that's not my role; that's not my job. So, it is what it is. "
Since the Helsinki summit meeting, Mr. Coats has stepped in to open the door to the conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, openly contradicting Mr. Trump and his Mr. Putin, President of the United States. Mr. Coats' reaction on Thursday underscored the growing divide between the president and his intelligence officials in their approach to Russia
That rift has prompted speculation in Washington that Mr. Coats could step down or be fired.
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