--- title: James Clapper: Watergate 'Pales' in Comparison to Trump description: James Clapper questioned Trump's pro-Russian stance, saying his sharing of intelligence with Russia "reflect either ignorance or disrespect" canonical: https://time.com/4808685/trump-russia-watergate-james-clapper/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-06-07T09:24:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:05:59.675Z article:section: Politics og:title: James Clapper: Watergate 'Pales' in Comparison to Trump og:description: The former U.S. spy chief said Trump's pro-Russian stance was "problematic" og:url: https://time.com/4808685/trump-russia-watergate-james-clapper/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt57865ebec0da2c7b/6988d08f196cf4b17d040775/gettyimages-689402354.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Meet the Press - Season 70 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: James Clapper: Watergate 'Pales' in Comparison to Trump twitter:description: The former U.S. spy chief said Trump's pro-Russian stance was "problematic" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt57865ebec0da2c7b/6988d08f196cf4b17d040775/gettyimages-689402354.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watergate 'Pales' in Comparison to Trump's Russia Scandal, Former U.S. Spy Chief Says > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7e5e0adf-f419-488c-9c2e-2bc992a94298&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Comparing James Comey's Firing to Richard Nixon [Watch (HLS stream): Comparing James Comey's Firing to Richard Nixon](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/rzpxxq3y.m3u8) (1:55)  _Published 2017-05-11. When President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, people were quick to cry Nixon._ by [Colin Packham / Reuters](https://time.com/author/reuters/) ## Colin Packham / Reuters Jun 7, 2017 9:24 AM UTC When President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey Tuesday, people were quick to cry Nixon. by [Colin Packham / Reuters](https://time.com/author/reuters/) ## Colin Packham / Reuters Jun 7, 2017 9:24 AM UTC (SYDNEY) — The Watergate scandal pales in comparison to events in Washington surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump and alleged links between his campaign and Russia, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Wednesday. Clapper questioned Trump’s continued pro-Russian stance, saying his sharing of intelligence with Russia “reflect either ignorance or disrespect, and either is very problematic”. “I think if you compare the two that Watergate pales, really, in my view, compared to what we’re confronting now,” Clapper told reporters in Canberra, Australia’s capital. The break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington in 1972, and subsequent cover-up, brought down former Republican U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1974. Clapper’s appearance in Canberra comes before highly anticipated testimony by sacked FBI director James Comey before the Senate intelligence committee on Thursday. The committee is examining whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russian officials to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. Trump in May removed Comey as director of FBI, despite a U.S. Justice Department probe into contacts between presidential aides and Russia, raising the specter of political interference in the investigation. Trump has called the probe a “witch hunt” and said there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia. Clapper said it was “inexplicable” that Trump continued his pro-Russia stance despite evidence Moscow sought to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. “His subsequent actions, sharing sensitive intelligence with the Russians and compromising its source, reflect either ignorance or disrespect and either is very problematic,” said Clapper. Trump disclosed highly classified information about a planned Islamic State operation to Russia’s foreign minister in an Oval Office meeting in May, two U.S. officials have said. ## Transcript Well I'm not a crook. On October 20th, 1973, President Nixon ordered Justice Department officials to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox who had been appointed to investigate the Watergate scandal. Both the attorney general and the deputy attorney general refused the president's orders and resigned. Nixon's new acting attorney general. Robert Bork complied and fired Cox, which effectively dismantled the investigation. Cox's firing prompted heavy criticism, and was seen as a key point in the events that led to Nixon's eventual resignation. [ MUSIC ] I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford Will be sworn in as president, at that hour, in this office. More than 40 years later, the Trump Administration has been clouded by an ongoing FBI investigation into potential communications between members of his campaign, and Russia during the 2016 election. The FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission Is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Trump fired James Comey shortly after Comey requested more resources for the agency's Russia probe. Why did you fire Director Comey? Because he wasn't doing a good job, very simply. He was not doing a good job. But while many people have drawn parallels, historians note the two situations are not exactly the same, as Nixon did not fire the head of the FBI. 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