Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said he has received concerns from foreign intelligence agencies about the “disparagement of the U.S. Intelligence Community†by President-elect Donald Trump, CNN reported Thursday.
Nicole Gaouette writes Clapper told Senate Armed Services Committee members at a Thursday hearing on international cyber threats that he believes public confidence and trust in the IC is “crucial†and that there is a distinction between disparagement and scepticism on intelligence.
He also discussed Russia’s cyber hacking activities during the 2016 presidential elections, Gaouette reports.
“We assess that only Russia’s senior-most officials could have authorized the recent election-focused data thefts and disclosures, based on the scope and sensitivity of the targets,” Clapper said in a joint testimony with Marcel Lettre, defense undersecretary for intelligence; and Navy Adm. Michael Rogers, commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.
Clapper, who will step down as DNI on Jan. 20, was scheduled Friday to brief Trump on Russia’s cyber intrusion in a private meeting, the report added.
