Latest news with #JamesClapper
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DAVID MARCUS: There are no more innocent explanations for Democrats' Russiagate lies
Amid last week's bomb-cyclone news cycle, which included a major summit with Russia and the takeover of the Washington, D.C., police force by the Trump administration, one could be forgiven for missing yet another Russiagate bombshell. In December of 2016, just before the unthinkable was about to happen in the form of Donald Trump becoming president, Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers emailed then Director of National Intelligence James Clapper with concerns he had over a report outlining Trump's ties to Russia. Rogers wrote of the report, meant to get in front of then-President Barack Obama in short order, "My folks aren't fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments." But the clock was ticking, you see. Soon, Trump would be in the White House to try to bring these sketchy efforts to smear him as having worked with Russia to steal the presidency to a crashing halt. So Clapper made clear that was not what he wanted to hear. "'Understand your concern,' Clapperreplied, according to newly released documents. "It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report – in the highest tradition of 'that's OUR story, and we're sticking' to it.'" If this email is accurate, and there has been no denial, then this isn't just a smoking gun, it's a signed confession. Clapper would go on to say, "We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report, but, more time is not negotiable. We may have to compromise on our 'normal' modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule." Compromising normal modalities? Orwell himself would blush at such ornate and vile double speak. The entire paragraph reads like a soft coup attempt, not honest officials following actual leads. Of course, these are not the first damning emails that show a conspiracy among Obama officials, even during the campaign of 2016. Remember this gem, allegedly from the vice president of the George Soros-backed Open Society Foundation, sent around the time of the 2016 Democratic National Convention? "HRC approved Julia's idea about Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections," it read. "That should distract people from her own missing email, especially if the affair goes to the Olympic level." About six months later, HRC, aka Hillary Clinton, had lost and the clock was, as Clapper noted, ticking. It was now or never to smear Trump as a Russian asset and thereby frustrate his elected term as president. And it worked. The rest, as they say, was history. Let's be clear: What is apparent now is that Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey and the whole clown car of Obama appointees hellbent on destroying Trump didn't fail to see the stop sign. They saw it, and they hit the gas. There are many Trump supporters, including some of his most passionate, who want to see arrests right now, and frankly, it does look more and more like laws were broken. But the law takes time to work. What should not take any time at all now is a universal acknowledgment from those in our media and government that the conspiracy against Trump was absolutely real, and tore our country apart needlessly. Were the Pulitzers worth it? As they collect dust like some sick portrait of Dorian Gray as a journalist, growing uglier and more twisted by the day as these same water-carrying scribes sip fancy cocktails by night? No. There are no more innocent explanations here. This wasn't a case where honest Obama officials acting in good faith got it wrong. They lied. This wasn't a case in which the news media demanded real answers; They lied, too. The gravity of deceit in the Russiagate scandal from Democrats seeking to thwart the will of the American voters is shocking, and yet most of our news outlets, the ones who weren't so much snookered but complicit, will never admit it. For now, our current DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, who is hopefully a whole more honest than James Clapper was, must continue to shine a light on what looks more and more like an attempt to overthrow a duly elected president. It is not enough that the plot against President Trump failed. We must now make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again.
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Declassified emails expose Obama intel chief's role in Russiagate hoax
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has declassified new documents revealing that former President Barack Obama's administration 'manufactured' intelligence to create the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion narrative and push the Russiagate probe. The top-secret correspondence, released on Wednesday, shows former DNI James Clapper directing intelligence chiefs to 'compromise on normal' procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), despite concerns from then-National Security Agency (NSA) Director Mike Rogers. On December 22, 2016, Rogers warned Clapper, then-FBI Director James Comey, and then-CIA Director John Brennan that the NSA lacked 'sufficient access' to all the intelligence and had not had 'enough time' to be 'absolutely confident' in its assessment of Russian involvement in the election. Hours later, Clapper dismissed the call for more time, writing that 'more time is not negotiable.' He stressed it was 'essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report – in the highest tradition of 'that's OUR story, and we're sticking' to it.'' Clapper added: 'This is one project that has to be a team sport.' The exchange took place shortly after a meeting between Obama, Clapper, Brennan, and other senior officials, during which Obama ordered a report detailing 'the tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.' 🚨Newly declassified Top Secret emails sent on December 22, 2016 complying with President Obama's order to create the manufactured January 2017 ICA about Russia expose how DNI James Clapper demanded the IC fall in line behind the Russia Hoax. Clapper admits that it was a "team… Clapper's response to Rogers came just hours before the report's authors delivered their first draft to US intelligence leaders. 'The decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top,' Gabbard said. Her earlier declassified releases alleged that Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election rival, and her operatives – backed by George Soros-linked groups – helped engineer the Trump-Russia narrative and expected the FBI to advance it. Moscow has denied interfering in US elections. The Russiagate scandal severely strained US-Russia relations, resulting in sanctions, asset seizures, and a breakdown in diplomatic engagement. Trump has said all those behind the hoax should pay a 'big price' for what he called a deliberate attempt to sabotage his presidency.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Russiagate: Declassified email 'expose' Obama intel chief; 'Clapper pushed Putin-Trump narrative in 2016 election'
Former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (Image credits: AP) Newly declassified emails reveal that former US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper overrode objections from within the intelligence community to fast-track the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) concluding that Russian President Vladimir Putin interfered in the 2016 US election to help President Donald Trump. The documents, released Wednesday by DNI Tulsi Gabbard , show Clapper urging spy chiefs to 'stick to' the narrative and treat the process as a 'team sport,' even if it meant compromising normal intelligence standards. The ICA, formally endorsed by the CIA, FBI, and NSA, was in fact drafted by just five CIA analysts under then-Director John Brennan, according to a House Intelligence Committee report. While the FBI and CIA expressed high confidence in Putin's preference for Trump, the NSA assessed it with only moderate confidence. Brennan's specially formed 'Fusion Cell' produced the assessment in less than a week, withholding sensitive and unverified intelligence from most of the intelligence community until a two-day review just before its release, reported Daily Caller. In a December 22, 2016 email, NSA Director Mike Rogers raised concerns about the compressed timeline, limited access to intelligence, and insufficient review time for NSA analysts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Affordable 60 sqm Bungalows in Malaysia: Perfect for the Elderly Prefabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo 'I'm concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren't fully comfortable saying that we've had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments,' Rogers wrote. 'If NSA is intended to be a co-author on this product, I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion.' Clapper rejected Rogers' request for more time, insisting on unity among agencies. 'It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page and are supportive of the report — in the highest tradition of 'that's OUR story, and we're sticking to it,'' he replied. 'More time is not negotiable… This is one project that has to be a team sport.' Gabbard said the emails confirm that intelligence standards were knowingly compromised. 'The decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top,' she stated, as quoted by Daily Caller. 'Clapper's own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a 'team sport.'' On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social quoting Gabbard: 'Newly declassified Top Secret emails sent on December 22, 2016 complying with President Obama's order to create the manufactured January 2017 ICA about Russia expose how DNI James Clapper demanded the IC fall in line behind the Russia Hoax. Clapper admits that it was a 'team sport' that required compromise on our 'normal modalities.'' The emails are part of the fourth batch of Russiagate-related documents Gabbard has declassified. Her office says it is working with advisers from multiple intelligence agencies to release additional material in the public interest
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Clapper pushed to 'compromise' 'normal' steps to rush 2017 ICA, despite concerns from NSA director
EXCLUSIVE: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper reportedly directed officials to "compromise" "normal" procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment — apparently despite concerns from then-Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, who said his team did not have "enough time" to review the intelligence to be "absolutely confident" that Russia was involved in the 2016 election. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified emails Wednesday. Fox News Digital obtained the declassified records. "The leading figures in the Russia Hoax have spent years deceiving the American public by presenting their manufactured and politicized assessments as credible intelligence," Gabbard told Fox News Digital. "The email released today reinforces what we already exposed: the decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top." "Clapper's own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a 'team sport,'" Gabbard said. In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Gabbard and intelligence officials said that the Obama administration allegedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise. The email, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday, from Rogers was sent to then-Director of National Intelligence Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, and then-FBI Director James Comey on Dec. 22, 2016, at 7:00 a.m. "I've just returned from a TDY overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks," Rogers wrote. "I know that this activity is on a fast-track and that folks have been working very hard to put together a product that can be provided to the president." "However, I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some concerns I have with what I am hearing from my folks," Rogers continued. "Specifically, I asked my team if they'd had sufficient access to the underlying intelligence and sufficient Tim etc review that intelligence." "On both points my team raised concerns," Rogers wrote. "They were clear that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to review and weigh in, but I'm concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren't fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments." Rogers clarified, saying he is "not saying that we disagree substantively, but I do want to make sure that, when we are asked in the future whether we can absolutely stand behind the paper, that we don't have any reason to hesitate because of the process." "I know that you agree that this is something we need to be 100% comfortable with before we present it to the President—we have one chance to get this right, and it is critical that we do so," Rogers wrote. "If the intent is to create an integrated product that is CIA/FBI/NSA jointly-authored that we can all defend, we need a process that allows us all to be comfortable, and I'm concerned we are not there yet." Rogers added: "In addition, if NSA is intended to be a co-author of this product, I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion." Rogers said, though, if the "intent is to create a CIA-only or CIA/FBI-authored product, then I will stand down on these concerns." "I would welcome your thoughts on these points and any adjustments we might make to the process to ensure that we all have the necessary level of confidence in the final assessment," Rogers wrote. Hours later, at 7:43 p.m. that same day, Clapper replied to Rogers' email, copying Brennan and Comey. "Understand your concern," Clapper wrote. "It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report—in the highest tradition of 'that's OUR story, and we're sticking' to it.'" "This evening, CIA has provided to the NIC the complete draft generated by the ad hoc fusion cell," Clapper continued. The "ad hoc fusion cell" was the small team Brennan put together to draft the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, intelligence community officials told Fox News Digital. "We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report, but, more time is not negotiable," Clapper wrote. "We may have to compromise on our 'normal' modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule." Clapper added: "This is one project that has to be a team sport." The 2017 ICA ultimately assessed that "Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC," but an official flagged to Fox News Digital that the ICA "failed to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution." Documents revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was "probably not trying…to influence the election by using cyber means." Weeks before the emails were sent, on Dec. 7, 2016, Clapper's talking points stated: "Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome." Last month, Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, NSA, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016. "We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure," the Presidential Daily Brief stated. "Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states." But the brief stated that it was "highly unlikely" the effort "would have resulted in altering any state's official vote result." "Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes," it stated. The brief noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed that any Russian activities "probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates." The FBI even had concerns with the inclusion of that information in the Presidential Daily Brief. By Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: "Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)" The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia. The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that principals "agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements" from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities. After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clapper's executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment "per the president's request," that detailed the "tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election." "ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS," the record states. Later, Obama officials "leaked false statements to media outlets" claiming that "Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election." By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months." Current intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was "politicized" because it "suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election." Officials also said it deceived the American public "by claiming the IC made no assessment on the 'impact' of Russian activities," when the intelligence community "did, in fact, assess for impact." Last month, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Comey and Brennan are under criminal investigation. Last week, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff to act on the criminal referral from Gabbard earlier this month. The Justice Department is now planning to open a grand jury investigation into the alleged conspiracy to tie President Trump to Russia in the 2016 election.
New York Post
04-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Ex-Obama officials face federal grand jury probe into whether they promoted false Trump-Russia ties
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has convened a federal grand jury to investigate former Obama administration officials who allegedly conspired to foment a scandal about President Trump's purported links to Russia during the 2016 election campaign, The Post has learned. The major legal development opens the door to criminal charges against prominent Cabinet members who served then-President Barack Obama, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey. 3 Director of the FBI, James Comey (L), Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John Brennan (2L), Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (2 R) in 2014. The trio could be subject of the DOJ's probe. Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Advertisement 3 Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Washington. AP 3 President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a joint press conference after their summit on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. Getty Images It was not immediately clear whether the grand jury would be based in heavily Democratic Washington, DC or elsewhere. Advertisement Trump and current DNI Tulsi Gabbard have called for a federal investigation into the early days of the Russia collusion probe dubbed 'Crossfire Hurricane' — though the commander in chief himself has acknowledged that his predecessor likely is immune from prosecution due to a 2024 Supreme Court ruling on the criminality of official presidential acts. The president has accused the former officials of a treasonous and seditious conspiracy to undermine his first-term agenda, ultimately consuming more than two years in leaky investigations before special counsel Robert Mueller turned up no evidence of collusion. This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
