Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said during a CNN appearance Tuesday it was “reprehensible” and “disturbing” for President Trump to refer to the Justice Department as the “deep state.”
WATCH:
Clapper said, “I think it’s reprehensible to use that phraseology. I guess who that refers to is the career civil servants who are patriots dedicated to the country. I’d point out that when you take the oath of office as a civil servant you swear to uphold the Constitution.”
He continued, “It doesn’t say anything about pledging loyalty to this president or any other and if not doing so is what constitutes being part of the ‘Deep State,’ I think that represents a fundamental misunderstanding of what this country is all about and what this government is all about and I find that characterization disturbing.”
This is in reference to President Trump tweeting Tuesday morning:
Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018