Former Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael J. Morell said Donald Trump was “played” by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, adding that he will vote for Hillary Clinton in November.
Morell was the acting director and deputy director of the CIA from 2010 to 2013. He was at President George W. Bush’s side during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and with President Barack Obama when Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011. In an op-ed for the New York Times on Friday, Morell says he has voted for both parties in the past and has always been silent on his presidential preferences—until this election.
“I will vote for Hillary Clinton,” wrote Morell.
“First, Mrs. Clinton is highly qualified to be commander in chief. I trust she will deliver on the most important duty of a president—keeping our nation safe. Second, Donald J. Trump is not only unqualified for the job, but he may well pose a threat to our national security,” he said.
Morell had previously worked with the Democratic presidential candidate when she was secretary of state, especially in the Situation Room. He described her as “prepared, detail-oriented, thoughtful, inquisitive and willing to change her mind if presented with a compelling argument,” as well as committed to national security and to America.
“When some wanted to delay the Bin Laden raid by one day because the White House Correspondents Dinner might be disrupted, she said, ‘Screw the White House Correspondents Dinner,’” he wrote.
Morell then said that unlike Clinton, Trump has no experience on national security.
“Even more important, the character traits he has exhibited during the primary season suggest he would be a poor, even dangerous, commander in chief,” wrote the former CIA director.
“These traits include his obvious need for self-aggrandizement, his overreaction to perceived slights, his tendency to make decisions based on intuition,” he added.
