Clapper says Trump era is ‘a real test of our resilience’

James Clapper, a long-time member of the U.S. intelligence community and former Director of National Intelligence, described the nation’s current political climate as “a real test.”

In a Tuesday interview with CBS News Radio’s ‘Intelligence Matters,’ Clapper said, “It’s [in] my very being to want to support the President of the United States, particularly in his role as Commander-in-Chief.”

“This president makes that very difficult because I feel that our institutions and values are under assault both from an external source – the Russians – and from an internal source – our own president,” Clapper continued. “This is a real test of our resilience as a country, as a system of governance – it is a real test.”

Clapper also recently commented about the impact of family separations on the precarious position of American values.

“I think it’s very disturbing to our friends and allies and probably satisfying to our adversaries,” he said on CNN’s ‘New Day.’

Clapper further noted, “The United States is known as a beacon of freedom and justice. A haven for the downtrodden…This is not consistent…with our values.”