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In this image taken from a video provided by the Aspen Security Forum, Dan Coats, National Director of Intelligence, speaks at the Forum in Aspen, Colorado on Thursday, July 19, 2018. Coats said his comments Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado were not meant to criticize how the president handled the summit. (Aspen Security Forum via AP) (Associated Press)
BRIDGEWATER, NJ – The top US intelligence official said Saturday that he did not want to disrespect President Donald Trump in a television interview on the summit with Russian President Vladimir Poutine. Dan Coats said his comments Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado were not intended to criticize the president's decision to invite Putin to a meeting in Washington later this year.
"Some media coverage has distorted my intentions in responding to the latest news that has been presented to me in a live interview," said Mr. Coats. "My clumsy answer does not go unnoticed. was in no way meant to be disrespectful or to criticize the actions of the president. "
Coats has been under surveillance since he said he wished Trump had not met head at head with the Russian leader and expressed Conscious that the president had publicly undermined US intelligence agencies, Coats issued a rare statement refuting the president's comments at a press conference with Putin, doubting the findings of the community Russian White House aides were worried that the former MP might resign after the president's comments, and the president spoke positively about e Coats in a TV interview Wednesday. But Coats' astonishment on hearing that Trump had invited Putin to Washington this fall for a follow-up meeting drew the wrath of the president.
"Repeat that," Coats said, running his hand over his ear on television. He took a deep breath and continued, "OK, this is going to be special."
Coats also revealed in the interview with NBC Andrea Mitchell that he did not know what happened when the private meeting between Trump and Putin in Helsinki, and reaffirmed unequivocally his belief that Russia continues to pose a "Basically, they are the ones who are trying to undermine our core values and to divide with our allies," said M Coats about Russia. "They are the ones who are trying to wreak havoc on our electoral process."
Coats, who oversees the country's 17 intelligence agencies, also said that if he had been asked, he would have advised Trump to meet Putin alone, with just some interpreters.
"It's not my role, it's not my job, it's what it is," Coats said.
Coats' Saturday statement, more than 48 hours after the initial interview, crowned a week of public Trump administration marches regarding Russia. Russia's guilt for interference in 2016 – although he later tried to "clarify" his remarks a day later – triggered a bipartisan sentence in Washington and prompted congressional lawmakers to seek once again to strengthen the sanctions against the long-time American enemy. a former GOP senator from Indiana, until this week has been a largely unseen figure in the Trump Cabinet. Earlier in the administration, his voice was stifled by the frankest, Mike Pompeo, who was director of the CIA before Trump patted him as secretary of state. With Pompeo at the head of the state department, Coats was put in the spotlight as the voice of the intelligence community
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Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to Aspen, Colorado .
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This document may not be published, distributed, rewritten or redistributed.
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