Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Thursday that the Russians who met with Donald Trump Jr. in June 2016 to discuss information they said came from the Russian government employed "classic, textbook Soviet and now Russian tradecraft."

Clapper, who served as the director of national intelligence in the Obama administration, said in an interview on MSNBC's "Hardball" that the Russians had a "soft approach" in meeting with 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 eldest son.

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"They had two objectives here," he told 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 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."

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

The meeting between Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law, Jared Kushner, then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and a Russian lawyer came after Trump Jr. was told in an email that the meeting would include information from the Russian government meant to support his father's presidential campaign.