Clapper: Biden's Putin comments may have been intended for a specific audience

[L. Coyote]

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper shares his thoughts after President Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” during remarks in Poland. The White House said afterward that it was not a call for regime change.

[Sanity Claws]

1. I understood it as a call to action by the Russian people

Earlier in the speech Biden was telling the Russian people that he has no dispute with them. He was kind of addressing them.

[Joinfortmill]

2. Exactly right. Good for Clapper.

[stopdiggin]

3. probably a misstep

and about the first thing that I think the president has seriously left-footed in a series of very adroit and deft moves. I'm not going to hammer Joe on this (I'm sure plenty of others will step in to fill the breach) - but I don't think this is what he really wanted to say. (at least publicly)

(go ahead and call Putin a liar, a cheat, a psychopath and a criminal - but then say that it is for the Russian government and people to decide what to do about it)

[Abolishinist]

4. There's a reason I'm never consulted on matters of national security.

Having said that, I would disagree somewhat with Clapper saying the intended audience was the Russian people. My take is that IF it was more than an off-the-cuff remark, it was intended for the command structure immediately under Putin, i.e. those who could remove him by force, one way or the other.

[DanieRains]

5. Joe Meant It

Or he wouldn't have said it.

It's up to Russians to clean their house while they suffer.

[Xipe Totec]

7. He was channeling King Henry II

"Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" (also expressed as "troublesome priest" or "meddlesome priest&quot is a quote attributed to Henry II of England preceding the death of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. While the quote was not expressed as an order, it prompted four knights to travel from Normandy to Canterbury, where they killed Becket. The phrase is commonly used in modern-day contexts to express that a ruler's wish may be interpreted as a command by his or her subordinates.

[COL Mustard]

6. It wasn't a mistake

But it wasn’t a call for us to oust Putin.

[Irish_Dem]

8. He just stated a fact shared by many across the world.

[Eyeball_Kid]

9. Clapper's analysis isn't exactly ingenious,

but having the gravitas to say it in a way that gets it to the press for publication makes up for intellect.

It’s easy to fully agree with his assessment. Putin has an inner circle, and we’re finding out how masterfully Biden plays his cards- with Putin and his inner circle.

This is an “I’m going to psych you out” moment. Biden knows that Putin can get paranoid even if he is not threatened. OTOH, if people around him are troubled, then Biden called the shot.

[Lovie777]

10. That whole region is alarmed . . . .

parts of Ukraine are getting destroyed both by deaths and property and Ukrainians are being kidnaped for Russia's land.

[FreepFryer]

11. Biden did the right thing. Nothing wrong w Putin thinking Biden wants him out, policy or no (Nt)

[TeamProg]

12. I like that "HE SPEAKS HIS MIND"

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ooo! ooo!