Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on Sunday said he believes the Russians are "only emboldened" after the 2016 presidential election.

"They are going to continue to interfere in our political process," he said on NBC's "Meet The Press."

"And to me, that's the big story here and what American people should be concerned about."

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During the interview, Clapper also referred to Russians as adversaries, noting they are "not our friends."

He said he thinks sanctions are a "compelling, powerful weapon," adding that the Russians "don't like them."

"The actions the last administration took, the sanctions and other actions on the 29 of December, I always thought of as a first step," he said.

"And I haven't seen any change in Russia behavior anywhere that would merit a relaxation and if anything an increase in those sanctions as we've learned more about — more has become public about what they're going to do."