U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told NBC's "Today" show on Wednesday that National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden should "man up" and come back to the United States to face justice.

Kerry also responded to Snowden's recent claim that he never intended to hide out in Russia but was forced to after the U.S. decided to "revoke my passport."

"Well, for a supposedly smart guy, that's a pretty dumb answer, after all," Kerry said in return.

Snowden, a former NSA contract analyst, leaked top secret documents to the media about their surveillance programs.

"If Mr. Snowden wants to come back to the United States, we'll have him on a flight today," Kerry said, adding Snowden should "stand up in the United States and make his case to the American people."

In an earlier interview with NBC's Brian Williams, Snowden said he was "trained as a spy" and claimed to have played a larger role in U.S. intelligence than the government has suggested he had.

"I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word, in that I lived and worked undercover overseas," he said.

While Snowden supporters portray him as a selfless patriot, Kerry claims he's just the opposite -- and "confused."

"A patriot would not run away. ... He can come home but he's a fugitive from justice," Kerry said.

"Let him come back and make his case. If he cares so much about America and he believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice," he added.

"I think he's confused," Kerry said. "I think it's very sad. But this is a man who has done great damage to his country."

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