Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper blasted President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE’s relationship with Russia on Friday, saying he wonders if Trump is trying to make “Russia great again.”

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum alongside former CIA Director James Brennan, Clapper was asked by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer if he believes Trump takes the threat of Russian election interference seriously.

“Well, it’s hard to tell,” said Clapper, who served under former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaDemocratic Senate campaign arm outraises GOP by M in August A federal court may have declared immigration arrests unconstitutional Blunt says vote on Trump court nominee different than 2016 because White House, Senate in 'political agreement' MORE. “I sometimes wonder whether what he’s about is making Russia great again.”

“I really wonder about that sometimes, whether he does take it as seriously as [current Director of National Intelligence] Dan Coats Daniel (Dan) Ray CoatsFBI chief says Russia is trying to interfere in election to undermine Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Trump, Biden renew push for Latino support Former Intel chief had 'deep suspicions' that Putin 'had something on Trump': book MORE and [CIA Director] Mike Pompeo both do.”

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Clapper went on to say that he believes Russia is “an existential threat to this country.”

Trump’s interactions in recent weeks with Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have received special attention amid probes into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is leading the federal probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during last year's campaign.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Trump and Putin had a second, undisclosed meeting at the recent G-20 summit. Trump and Putin’s official G-20 meeting, originally scheduled to last just 30 minutes, went on for more than two hours.

Clapper also recently criticized Donald Trump Jr. for his meeting during the 2016 campaign with a Russian lawyer who promised damaging information on then-Democratic rival Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Democratic super PAC to hit Trump in battleground states over coronavirus deaths Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE, saying that the Russians who met with him employed “classic, textbook Soviet and now Russian tradecraft.”

"They had two objectives here," he told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. "One was to determine whether those close to then-candidate Trump would be interested in talking with them and receiving dirt on Hillary Clinton."

"And point two was plausible deniability," Clapper added.