"People in the intelligence business are used to getting beaten about the head and shoulders,” James Woolsey said. | Getty Former CIA director downplays Trump's feud with intelligence community

Former CIA Director James Woolsey on Friday said the public shouldn't be concerned by Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism of the intelligence community, adding that the president-elect occasionally “sounds off like that.”

"People in the intelligence business are used to getting beaten about the head and shoulders,” Woolsey said in an interview with MSNBC’s Greta Van Susteren, citing criticism of the agency over the 1994 conviction for espionage of a former CIA analyst turned KGB spy.


Woolsey, who led the CIA in Bill Clinton's administration, also praised Trump for asking his Cabinet picks to “express their own thoughts, not mine.”

“I think most of us took it generally as saying call it the way you see it. And that is very very valuable,” Woolsey said. “That’s what you want as an intelligence officer. You want the boss to say ‘whatever it is, you’re not a yes man, tell me what you think.’”

Addressing Trump's continued criticism of the intelligence community and allegations it leaked classified information, Woolsey said the idea that 535 members of Congress briefed on some intelligence issues can keep a secret “may be a bit unrealistic,” but that he doesn’t think most leaks to the press go through Congress.

“I think they filter out by people talking to friends, and so forth and from the executive branch. But the things that are really sensitive like a covert action is limited to about eight members of Congress, which is very manageable,” he said.

Trump renewed his criticism of intelligence agencies Friday, tweeting again about an unverified report containing allegations that Russia holds compromising information on Trump.

“Russia says nothing exists. Probably released by ‘Intelligence’ even knowing there is no proof, and never will be. My people will have a full report on hacking within 90 days!”