Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Monday on CNN’s “Situation Room” that it was disturbing that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has his “finger on the nuclear button,” was “distant from reality.”
Clapper was reacting to Austrian chancellor Karl Nehammer saying Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Putin believed Russia was winning the war in his invasion of Ukraine.
Blitzer asked, “The Austrian chancellor who actually met with Putin last week says he thinks Putin quote, ‘believes he is winning this war.’ How disturbing is it to hear that?”
Clapper said, “Well, it’s disturbing but confirmatory. I think, at least in my view, Putin’s been in his own reality bubble for some time. And there’s been a question about the extent to which he’s getting actual facts about what’s going on on the ground.”
He added, “He claims that everything’s going according to plan and that he’s winning. Well, it makes you wonder how separate he is from any news at all that’s realistic. So it is bothersome when you have someone in his position with his finger on the nuclear button who’s that distant from reality.”
Blitzer said, “Very scary point indeed.”
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