Story highlights "I do think both the Chinese and the Russians think they can play him," said James Clapper

Over the weekend, Trump had mixed remarks about Russian meddling and called the former intelligence officials "political hacks"

Washington (CNN) A pair of former US intelligence chiefs blasted President Donald Trump Sunday after he attacked them a day earlier while discussing his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Sunday on CNN"s "State of the Union" that Trump's downplaying of the threat posed by Russia's meddling in last year's election was dangerous to US national security and allows countries like Russia and China to "play" the President. Former CIA Director John Brennan said Trump is allowing Putin to get away with Russia's efforts to disrupt the presidential election.

Speaking alongside Brennan, Clapper said: "The threat posed by Russia, as John just said, is manifest and obvious. To try to paint it in any other way is, I think, astounding, and in fact, poses a peril to this country."

Clapper, a CNN analyst, was responding to Trump's mixed comments about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

'Giving Putin a pass'

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