Russia Investigation News: Clapper Says US Institutions Under Attack — From President [VIDEO]

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Sunday U.S. institutions are under assault — not only by the Russians but by President Donald Trump as well.

Clapper said he found the firing of FBI Director James Comey “very disturbing,” in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” On ABC’s “This Week,” Comey said Russia probably is looking at Comey’s dismissal as a win.

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But U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the president has the right to fire whomever he wants for whatever reason.

Tuesday’s sudden dismissal of Comey touched off a firestorm and comparisons to Watergate. When Trump spokesmen cited a memo written by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as the basis for the firing, the No. 2 person at the Justice Department threatened to resign. The memo outlined the shortcomings of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. During the campaign, Trump praised Comey and the FBI for their investigation.

"I think in many ways our institutions are under assault, both externally, and that's the big news here is the Russian interference in our election system," Clapper said on "State of the Union." “And I think as well our institutions are under assault internally."

Asked: "Internally from the president?"

"Exactly," Clapper replied.

Clapper said he thinks the public “at large … is concern[ed] about it.”

“People had issues I'm sure with Director Comey, some of his decisions, that's fine ... but I think as far as his stature as a leader and his integrity, people are very upset about the way he was treated," Clapper said.

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Clapper said on “This Week” the Russians’ first objective was “to sow doubt, discord and dissension in this country.” He said they must be “celebrating” at this point.

Clapper said he was at the Hoover Building the day Trump invited Comey to the White House for dinner Jan. 27. The New York Times reported it was at that dinner that Trump asked Comey to pledge his loyalty but Comey demurred, saying he could pledge only his honesty.

Clapper said he thinks Comey was uneasy about the dinner, fearing it would appear compromising to “his independence and that of the bureau,” but that he went as a matter of “professional courtesy.”

Haley, however, defended Trump’s right to fire administration personnel as the CEO of the country.

“He can hire and fire whoever he wants. That's his right. Whether you agree with it or not, it's the truth. And what he's trying to do is find his own team, figure out how he's going to do it. Were there better ways he could have done that? That's for everybody else to decide. But we have to remember, he can hire and fire anybody else that he wants to do," she said on “This Week.”

After the firing, Trump issued a veiled threat to Comey, warning him to think twice before “leaking” anything about their meeting.

But he acknowledged the whole Russian controversy could be playing into Moscow’s hands.

Trump met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Thursday in the Oval Office but declined to allow U.S. media to monitor the session although the Russian news agency Tass had access.