Ex-CIA director and defense secretary says there is 'no question' the Russians have something which intimidates Trump
- Former CIA Director Leon Panetta says he is convinced the Russians have leverage over the U.S. president
- He slammed President Trump for holding a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin
- Said there is something that 'intimidates' the president
- Another former CIA Director, John Brennan said Trump is 'in the pocket' of Putin
- Putin said Monday: 'I do know how dossiers are made up'
Former CIA Director Leon Penetta says he is persuaded by President Donald Trump's stunning Helsinki press conference signals that the Russians 'have something' on him.
The comments from the former spy chief under President Obama who also helmed the Pentagon and served as a chief of staff for President Bill Clinton's comes after other former top government officials said the idea of Russian leverage over the American president has now taken on new currency.
'There's no question that there is something here that intimidates the president of the United States,' Panetta told host Brian Williams on MSNBC's 'The 11th Hour.'
'There's no question that there is something here that intimidates the president of the United States,' former CIA Director Leon Panetta told MSNBC
'It was clear that he was intimidated by that situation,' Panetta added.
'Whether the Russians have something on this president or not, no one really knows. But the way he behaves, there's a clear signal that the Russians have something on him.'
Panetta's comments come after Trump praised his 'powerful' denial of meddling in the election.
Putin denied holding 'compromising material' on Trump, but also introduced the topic of the Golden Showers dossier on his own during the joint event.
'I do know how dossiers are made up,' Putin joked, prompting Trump to jump in with his own less-than-ironclad denial.
Panetta spoke about Trump and Russia on MSNBC Tuesday evening
Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart: 'The time has to come to talk in a substantive way'
CIA Director Leon Panetta, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, FBI Director Robert Muelle and Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research Philip Goldberg testify during a hearing before the Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee February 16, 2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey shake hands after signing orders that will lift a ban on women in combat positions within the U.S. military at the Pentagon January 24, 2013 in Arlington, Virginia
CIA Director Leon Panetta delivers remarks as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, Marine Corps Gen. John Allen and Ambassador Ryan Crocker look on in the East Room of the White House April 28, 2011 in Washington, DC
GAME BALL: Putin gave Trump a soccer ball following the completion of the World Cup in Russia
'And I have to say if they had it, it would have been out long ago,' Trump said at an event where he also called Putin's denial of election meddling 'powerful,' despite his own Intelligence Community saying the Russians hacked the election.
Putin was referencing the infamous Steele dossier, which laid out claims that Russia could hold potentially damaging financial or personal information over Trump, and reference his trip to Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe pageant.
Panetta was unimpressed by Trump's Tuesday effort to undue some of the damage by saying he had mixed up his use of 'would' and 'wouldn't.'
President Vladimir Putin said he wanted Donald Trump to win the presidential election
'I thought he did a poor job at it. He was reading it. When you start to parse words like would or wouldn't, it just doesn't really sound like he is honestly trying to say he made a mistake. I think he fought it every bit of the way and it showed,' Panetta said.
'There's no question in my mind that the Russians know what went on in that room. That's the way they operate. But just the fact that the president of the United States and the leader of Russia our primary adversary had a closed meeting, one on one without any aides there to explain tot he American people what happened in that room, I think really sets a terrible precedent for the presidency of the United States. I think it was a mistake and I think the president's going to pay for it,' he said.
Former CIA director John Brennan, a frequent Trump critic, blasted the president immediately after Helsinki on Monday.
'Donald Trump's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes & misdemeanors.' It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???' he asked on Twitter.
Trump's performance brought furious blowback from Democrats and some Republicans, prompting his statement from the Oval Office.
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