Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Friday explained why he believes Donald Trump violated the presidential oath of office with the admission this week that he would accept dirt on his 2020 rivals from foreign powers.

Trump has been widely criticized after making the startling confession in an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos.

Panetta, who led the Pentagon under President Barack Obama from 2011 to 2013, noted on CNN’s “OutFront with Erin Burnett” that “the law says that ... any candidate who receives a benefit from any foreign country is violating the laws of our country.”

“That’s clear. It’s a violation of law,” Panetta said, adding that “for the president of the United States to say he would be willing to take that information and not have to call the FBI, I think represents a violation of the oath of office that this president took.”

Check out the segment here: