Donald Trump's behaviour 'downright disturbing', says former intelligence director
James Clapper says the US President may be unfit for office

The former US director of national intelligence James Clapper has directly criticised Donald Trump, calling his performance at a campaign rally in Arizona on Tuesday "downright disturbing and scary".
"I really question his … fitness to be in this office," said Clapper, who served as intelligence director for seven years under Barack Obama. "And I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for it. Maybe he is looking for a way out."
"Having some understanding of the levers that a president can exercise, I worry about, frankly, the access to the nuclear codes," he told CNN. "In a fit of pique he decides to do something about Kim Jong-un, there's actually very little to stop him. The whole system is built to ensure rapid response if necessary. So there's very little in the way of controls over exercising a nuclear option, which is pretty damn scary."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During the recent increase in tensions between the US and North Korean governments, many military analysts expressed concern about Trump's ability to act on his own initiative. "Once a president has verified his identity with a code kept constantly on his person or nearby, the military chain of command has no power to block his launch orders," The Guardian reports.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Music reviews: Chance the Rapper, Cass McCombs, and Molly Tuttle
Feature "Star Line," "Interior Live Oak," and "So Long Little Miss Sunshine"
-
Film reviews: Eden and Honey Don't!
Feature Seekers of a new utopia spiral into savagery and a queer private eye prowls a high-desert town
-
Critics' choice: Three chefs fulfilling their ambitions
Feature Kwame Onwuachi's grand second act, Travis Lett makes a comeback, and Jeff Watson's new Korean restaurant
-
Trump soaks up adoration in his made-for-TV Cabinet meetings
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's televised sessions have become a platform for his top lieutenants to demonstrate executive flattery
-
Court rejects Trump suit against Maryland US judges
Speed Read Judge Thomas Cullen, a Trump appointee, said the executive branch had no authority to sue the judges
-
Can anyone save Jimmy Lai?
Today's Big Question 'Britain's shameful inaction' will mean it's partly 'responsible' if Hong Kong businessman dies in prison
-
Trump expands National Guard role in policing
Speed Read The president wants the Guard to take on a larger role in domestic law enforcement
-
Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Speed Read The move is likely part of Trump's push to get the central bank to cut interest rates
-
America: Are we now living in an autocracy?
Feature 200 days into his presidency and Trump is still deepening his authoritarian grip
-
Red states join in Trump's D.C. crackdown
Feature 1,200 troops arrive in Washington D.C. from six red states
-
Pomp but little progress at Trump's Ukraine talks
Feature Trump's red carpet welcoming for Putin did little to advance a peace deal with Ukraine