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Outgoing CIA chief rips into Trump on Russia threat

 
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 05:  CIA Director John Brennan speaks during a forum at the University of Chicago on January 5, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Brennan is expected meet with President-Elect Donald Trump tomorrow, a meeting that Brennan expects to be "robust if not sporty". Trump has been critical of U.S. intelligence services.  (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) 691168581
CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 05: CIA Director John Brennan speaks during a forum at the University of Chicago on January 5, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Brennan is expected meet with President-Elect Donald Trump tomorrow, a meeting that Brennan expects to be "robust if not sporty". Trump has been critical of U.S. intelligence services. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) 691168581
Published Jan. 16, 2017

NEW YORK — The outgoing CIA director charged on Sunday that Donald Trump lacks a full understanding of the threat Moscow poses to the United States, delivering a public lecture to the president-elect that further highlighted the bitter state of Trump's relations with American intelligence agencies.

John Brennan's pointed message on national television came just five days before Trump becomes the nation's 45th president amid lingering questions about Russia's role in the 2016 election even as the focus shifts to the challenges of governing.

"Now that he's going to have an opportunity to do something for our national security as opposed to talking and tweeting, he's going to have tremendous responsibility to make sure that U.S. and national security interests are protected," Brennan said on Fox News Sunday, warning that the president-elect's impulsivity could be dangerous.

"Spontaneity is not something that protects national security interests," Brennan declared.

Trump, who has unleashed a series of aggressive tweets against the U.S. intelligence community and his political rivals in recent weeks, responded aggressively on Twitter several hours later.

"Was this the leaker of Fake News?" Trump tweeted Sunday night, referring to a recent document that contains unverified financial and personal information that could be damaging to the president-elect. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the contents of the document.

Trump remained behind closed doors in his Manhattan high-rise Sunday. His team worked to answer questions about his plans at home and abroad once he's sworn into office on Friday.

Among Trump's immediate challenges: the United States-Russia relationship, crafting an affordable health care alternative that doesn't strip coverage from millions of Americans, and growing questions about the legitimacy of his presidency. Without providing details, Trump promised his plan to replace the nation's health care law would provide universal coverage, according to a Washington Post interview published late Sunday.

Questions about Trump's relationship with Russia have dominated the days leading up to his inauguration.

Retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who is set to become Trump's national security adviser, has been in frequent contact with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. in recent weeks, including on the day the Obama administration hit Moscow with sanctions in retaliation for the alleged election hacking, a senior U.S. official said.

After initially denying the contact took place, Trump's team publicly acknowledged the conversations on Sunday.

"The conversations that took place at that time were not in any way related to the new U.S. sanctions against Russia or the expulsion of diplomats," said Vice President-elect Mike Pence, also in an appearance on Fox News Sunday.

Repeated contacts just as President Barack Obama imposed sanctions would raise questions about whether Trump's team discussed — or even helped shape — Russia's response. Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly did not retaliate against the U.S. for the sanctions or the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, a decision Trump quickly praised.

Trump has repeatedly called for a better relationship between the U.S. and Putin's government. He suggested in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday that he'd consider easing the latest sanctions on Russia.

"I think he has to be mindful that he does not have a full appreciation and understanding of what the implications are of going down that road," Brennan said.