'I don't know what they're talking about': Ex-national intelligence director calls BS on Trump's attack tweet

Former national intelligence director James Clapper was attacked on Twitter by President Donald Trump, but he told CNN in a conversation today that he can't respond to it, "because I don't know what they're talking about."

"House Intelligence Committee votes to release final report," Trump began his Friday tweet. "FINDINGS: (1) No evidence provided of Collusion between Trump Campaign & Russia. (2) The Obama Administrations Post election response was insufficient. (3) Clapper provided inconsistent testimony on media contacts."

"I want to ask what the president said about you today came out and tweeted," began host Erin Burnett. "I want to emphasize, general, we have not seen the report which is put out by the Republican majority on the committee. But I want to start with the president's accusation against you. 'Clapper provided inconsistent testimony on media contacts.' Your response to President Trump?"

Clapper began by saying that the first thing that struck him was that it was strange that an intelligence report from a committee would come with so many recommendations, three of which pertained to Clapper.

"I thought it kind of strange of all the many, many recommendations, most of the three he cited, one of them pertained to me, which I thought in the relative scheme of things pretty inconsequential," Clapper responded. "So, I don't know why he did it. Secondly, I don't know what they were talking about. My attorney reached out to the majority staff of the House Intelligence Committee to ask for some explanation or clarification."

Unfortunately for Clapper, the committee must submit the report for it to be declassified, which he said could take weeks.

"So I don't know when I'll find out about it, but it kind of blindsided me," he confessed. "They didn't reach out to me to ask me about it. I would just contrast this process with that which was followed by the subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee after Sally Yates and I testified last -- 8th of May."

He said there was some confusion about questions from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who "went on television saying that I had answered inconsistently." He explained that he and his attorney went back to read the transcript of questions by Graham and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

"They weren't the same question, I answered them differently," he said. "And we explained that to the committee and they accepted it. To me is a better process than this. Maybe it was my evil twin. I don't know."

He went on to say that he thinks the point of the tweet was an outright "smear" and use of "innuendo, which I can't respond to, because I don't know what they are talking about."

Watch the full discussion below: