Posted on 03/10/2017 8:03:16 AM PST by markomalley
President Obama’s director of national intelligence identified one claim made in the dossier on Donald Trump that U.S. officials have corroborated, though it is likely to underwhelm Trump’s critics.
Speaking to ABC News this week, James Clapper said that officials have corroborated the part of the dossier that asserts that Russian president Vladimir Putin has a “rabid animus” for Bill and Hillary Clinton.
But that’s all that Clapper would cite as decidedly accurate in the dossier, which was compiled by former MI6 spy Christopher Steele.
That Putin has intense hatred for the Clintons is not news, nor is it among the more salacious allegations in the 35-page dossier, which was financed by an opposition research firm working for allies of Hillary Clinton.
“Are there parts of that dossier that have been corroborated?” Ross asked Clapper.
“There were some, particularly pertaining to the rabid animus … that Putin had for the Clintons, both President Clinton and Secretary Clinton,” Clapper said.
“There are some parts of that dossier that have been corroborated?” Ross repeated, a slight hint of surprise in his voice. CNN reported last month that intelligence officials had verified some parts of the dossier, though there was no indication which parts they believed were true.
“As I said, the example I cite is animus for the Clintons, and that we saw from other sources,” Clapper told Ross.
“And are there other parts that have not been corroborated?” the reporter asked.
“That’s all I’m going to comment on the dossier,” Clapper shot back.
Clapper’s statements are significant given their lack of anything resembling confirmation of the most serious allegations in the dossier: that the Russian government has blackmail material on Trump and that the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin to sway the election
Clapper poured cold water on the latter allegation over the weekend, saying that “there was no evidence whatsoever … of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians.”
Clapper’s statements undercutting the dossier have gotten little attention in the press. As an example, most of his ABC News segment aired only online and not on the network’s nightly broadcast.
But ABC did broadcast the part of Clapper’s interview where he was more critical of Trump, specifically on the president’s claims that Obama ordered surveillance on Trump Tower during the campaign.
“There was no wiretap against Trump Tower during the campaign conducted by any part of the national intelligence community,” Clapper insisted, rebutting an unfounded claim Trump made on Saturday.
Clapper also dished on his conversations with Trump about the dossier just before the the inauguration.
The retired general said that Trump asked him on Jan. 11 to publicly rebut the dossier. Clapper declined to do so. He also said that Trump informed him on Jan. 17 “that he believed all the information that was contained in the data of this dossier was false.”
So the part about Putin hating the Clintons was true but the rest was BS. Sounds like the media's batting 1.000 there.
I read some other guy who supposedly knew stuff saying that if Putin favored Trump, it was only because he couldn’t stand the thought of having to work with Hillary. Rings true to me!
So Putin Hates obama and the clintons.
Ergo, President Trump Dossier?
Bite me.
I also hate those that I can easily bribe.
So what? Anybody with a lick of sense despises the Clintons.
I do not even believe that. Clinton approved the sale to the Russians of a lot of our uranium for a few million dollars to the Clinton crime foundation and a $500,000 BJ speaking fee. Why would Putin hate the Clintons for that?
I’m guessing Putin sees all American politicians as rivals on the world stage. He probably hold animus for all of them — including Trump.
Vladimir Putin hates pedophilia and pedophiles, ergo, he hates the Clintons.
WOW, so do I!...................
No, no...you have to understand terminology. For Obama, “Intelligence Director” doesn’t mean Clapper per se.
Obama’s “Intelligence Director” was the guy who typed up his teleprompters.
Damn! Does this mean there wasn’t any “golden shower”? I was thinking what’s the point of having “pi$$ on you” money if you can’t pi$$ on anyone.
Waste of space. Why does the Daily Caller even bother publishing this article?
Not any more than me!
Vlad ain't all bad!
Half of America has an intense hatred for the Clintons.
I guess that makes us Putin / Russian lovers?
Since these aszhats are good at parsing words I'd say that Clapper has left a choice on the table ...which is Loretta Lynch and the Justice Dept. did it...they ain't the intellegence community.
A possible explanation is that there is as much political double-dealing in Russia as in Washington. Putin's approval of the deal would depend on which faction profited from it. We tend to look on Putin as being all powerful but history would indicate otherwise.
Him and about half the voters in this country.
That’s weird.
Why on -earth- would anyone hate an unstable lesbian Marxist who sides with moslems, tries to start a color revolution in your country, and hopes to start a conventional shooting war with you and wants to move offensive forces right up to your border? Especially if its a batty grandma who smells like boiled cabbage, urine and farts according to her own people?
They don’t like her. This is a real head scratcher.
“Half of America has an intense hatred for the Clintons.
I guess that makes us Putin / Russian lovers?”
Yes, and according to some here you actually can get paid for that. If you find out how please freepmail me.
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