The top U.S. intelligence official said on Saturday that he meant no disrespect to President Donald Trump in an interview discussing the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said his Thursday comments at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado were not intended to be critical of Mr. Trump’s decision to invite Mr. Putin to a meeting in Washington later this year.
“Some press coverage has mischaracterised my intentions in responding to breaking news presented to me during a live interview,” Mr. Coats said. “My admittedly awkward response was in no way meant to be disrespectful or criticise the actions of the President.”
Mr. Coats has been under scrutiny since he said he wished Mr. Trump had not met one-on-one with Mr. Putin and expressed dismay that he had publicly undermined U.S. intelligence agencies.
Mr. Coats also revealed in the interview with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell that he was unaware of what transpired in the private meet in Helsinki.
