Ex-intel chief Clapper: Watergate 'pales' compared to Russia probes

The Watergate scandal “pales” in comparison to the ongoing Russia investigations that have besieged the current White House, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told reporters in Australia on Wednesday.

"I think if you compare the two that Watergate pales, really, in my view, compared to what we're confronting now," Clapper said, according to a report from Reuters. Watergate led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.


Clapper, who served as director of national intelligence under former President Barack Obama, has been relatively outspoken on the issue of the Russia investigations, testifying before Congress and appearing on political television programs.

He has disputed President Donald Trump’s notion that the investigations, including one each in the Senate and House intelligence committees and another under the direction of special prosecutor Robert Mueller, amount to a “witch hunt.”

Clapper said it was “inexplicable” that Trump has maintained a relatively warm stance toward the Russian government despite evidence that the Kremlin sought to interfere in last year’s presidential election, an assessment that has the backing of all 17 intelligence agencies. The president’s reported decision to share highly sensitive information with two top Russian diplomats reflects “either ignorance or disrespect, and either is very problematic,” Clapper said.