James Woolsey, who served as CIA director under Bill Clinton, is joining Donald Trump’s campaign for president as a senior adviser, the campaign announced Monday.
The Trump campaign, in a news release, said Woolsey is crossing “party lines” to help the Republican nominee.
“I have been a ‘Scoop Jackson,’ ‘Joe Lieberman,’ Democrat all of my adult life, but I am pleased to be asked to participate with others I respect in advising GOP candidate Donald J. Trump on the urgent need to reinvest in and modernize our military in order to confront the challenges of the 21st century,” Woolsey said in a statement.
“Mr. Trump’s commitment to reversing the harmful defense budget cuts signed into law by the current administration, while acknowledging the need for debt reduction, is an essential step toward reinstating the United States’ primacy in the conventional and digital battlespace,” he added.
Woolsey took aim at Clinton in his statement.
“Since Secretary Clinton left the State Department we have learned that she demonstrated a complete lack of understanding and an inability to lead the agency she headed in such a way as to maintain its mission and security,” he said. “Based on the emails thus far released we know that Secretary Clinton also lacks the ability to lead her senior managers while complying with and maintaining the basic protocols designed to protect our government’s sensitive and classified information.”
“Mr. Trump understands the magnitude of the threats we face and is holding his cards close to the vest. Bravo Zulu, Mr. Trump,” he said.
Woolsey served as CIA director from 1993 to 1995.
