Donald Trump's behaviour 'downright disturbing', says former intelligence director

James Clapper has publicly questioned Trump&#039;s fitness for office

(Image credit: This content is subject to copyright.)

last updated 24 August 2017

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."