Leon Panetta: Trump’s Foreign ‘Dirt’ Comments Are a ‘Violation of the Oath of Office’

Friday on CNN’s “OutFront,” former CIA Director Leon Panetta said President Donald Trump’s comments about accepting “dirt” on political opponents from foreign governments was a “violation of the oath of office.”

Panetta said, “The president of the United States swears an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And to defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And for him to take a position that is against the law in this country, I mean the law says that no one should receive any kind of benefit, any candidate who receives a benefit from any foreign country is violating the laws of our country. That’s clear. It’s a violation of law.”

He added, “For the President of the United States to say he would be willing to take that information and not have to call the FBI, I think represents a violation of the oath of office that this president took.”