Former CIA Director Michael Hayden told CBS’ Charlie Rose Monday that the release of internal DNC emails — obtained by Russian hackers — is evidence that Vladimir Putin is “playing with our heads.”

“I think the Russians did it,” Hayden stated. “Why did they do it? First of all, the stealing of the data, Charlie, that’s generally accepted state espionage.”

“That’s an important political party in an important country. Stealing that stuff is what big nations, including our own, do to other big nations,” he added. “They did something else, though. They weaponized the information.”

Hayden explained that Russia “used the information to, at a minimum, play with our heads.”

“I really don’t think [Putin has] the wherewithal, the wisdom, the cleverness, to use the data to affect the outcome of the campaign,” he clarified. “I just think he’s playing with our heads.”

“He thinks we do this to him all the time. He thinks we did the Orange Revolution. He thinks we did the Rose Revolution. He’s trying to just give us a taste of our own medicine.”

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