
James Clapper
Director of National Intelligence under President Obama. Gabbard accuses him of pressuring the NSA to sign off on the manufactured intelligence assessment and of previously admitting to creating intelligence that 'wasn't there' for the Iraq War.
First Mentioned
9/16/2025, 6:29:57 AM
Last Updated
9/16/2025, 6:32:58 AM
Research Retrieved
9/16/2025, 6:32:58 AM
Summary
James Clapper is a retired lieutenant general of the U.S. Air Force with over 50 years of experience in military and intelligence roles. He held significant leadership positions within the U.S. Intelligence Community, including Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 1992 to 1995, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from 2001 to 2006, and Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. From 2010 to 2017, he served as the fourth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Barack Obama, overseeing a vast intelligence apparatus. Following his government service, Clapper became a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security and a national security analyst for CNN. His career was marked by controversy, notably an accusation of perjury in 2013 for statements made to Congress regarding NSA data collection. More recently, he has been named by Tulsi Gabbard as a central figure in what she describes as a "Russiagate Hoax," alleging his involvement, alongside other Obama administration intelligence officials, in orchestrating a campaign of politicized intelligence to undermine Donald Trump's presidency by manipulating intelligence assessments related to the 2016 US Presidential Election.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Born
1941-03-14
Education
University of Maryland, College Park (BS); St. Mary's University, Texas (MA)
Allegiance
United States
Birthplace
Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S.
Military Rank
Lieutenant General (retired)
Military Branch
United States Air Force
Oversight (as DNI)
200,000 intelligence employees internationally
Budget Oversight (as DNI)
$52 billion
Years of Military Service
1963–1995
Post-Government Affiliation
CNN (National Security Analyst)
Timeline
- Born James Robert Clapper Jr. in Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. (Source: DBPedia, Simple English Wikipedia)
1941-03-14
- Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. (Source: Web Search (securityfdn.org))
1961
- Began military service in the United States Air Force. (Source: Simple English Wikipedia)
1963
- Appointed Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
1992
- Retired from the U.S. Armed Forces as a Lieutenant General. (Source: DBPedia, Simple English Wikipedia)
1995
- Returned to government service as the first civilian director of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), which later transformed into the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). (Source: Web Search (lgraham.senate.gov))
2001-09-13
- Began serving as Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2001-09
- Concluded tenure as Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2006-06
- Became the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, serving until 2010. (Source: Web Search (dia.mil))
2006
- Nominated by President Barack Obama to replace Dennis C. Blair as United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI). (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2010-06-05
- Unanimously confirmed by the Senate for the position of Director of National Intelligence. (Source: DBPedia)
2010-08-05
- Began serving as the fourth U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI). (Source: Web Search (lgraham.senate.gov))
2010-08-09
- Accused of perjury for statements made to a congressional committee regarding the NSA's collection of telephone metadata on millions of Americans. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2013
- Resigned as Director of National Intelligence, effective at the end of President Obama's term. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2016-11
- Concluded his tenure as Director of National Intelligence. (Source: Web Search (lgraham.senate.gov))
2017-01-20
- Joined the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) as a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Intelligence and National Security. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2017-05
- Hired by CNN as a national security analyst. (Source: Summary, DBPedia)
2017-08
- Named by Tulsi Gabbard as a key figure in orchestrating the "Russiagate Hoax," a campaign of politicized intelligence designed to undermine Donald Trump's presidency following the 2016 US Presidential Election. (Source: Related Documents, Summary)
Undated
Web Search Results
- Keynote Speaker: James Clapper, National Intelligence | LAI
Jim Clapper is the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President George H.W. Bush, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency under President George W. Bush, and the first Director of Defense Intelligence within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. During the course of the Vietnam War, Clapper flew 73 combat support missions over Laos and Cambodia. He is a recipient of the Defense Distinguished [...] Enter other… Message - [x] Subscribe to the Circuit: The latest speakers and stories in the news. Profile Download Profile ShareTwitterFacebookLinkedIn Print) James (Jim) Clapper is one of the finest intelligence minds of the 21 st century. [...] respected intelligence officials” by President Barack Obama, Director Clapper is a retired Air Force Lieutenant General who served two tours in Southeast Asia. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, he brings 50 plus years of military and intelligence experience to discussions regarding the unprecedented breadth of challenges facing the US today—including transnational threats like terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber attacks, as well as the domestic
- James R. Clapper - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Robert "Jim" Clapper Jr.( (born March 14, 1941)( is a retired lieutenant general&action=edit&redlink=1 "Lieutenant general (United States) (not yet started)") in the United States Air Force and is the former Director of National Intelligence. [...] | Born | James Robert Clapper Jr. (1941-03-14) March 14, 1941 (age 84) Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. | | Education | University of Maryland, College Park(BS) St. Mary's University, Texas")(MA) | | Military service | | Allegiance | Image 5United States | | Branch/service | Image 6United States Air Force | | Years of service | 1963–1995 | | Rank | Lieutenant General&action=edit&redlink=1 "Lieutenant general (United States) (not yet started)") | | Battles/wars | Vietnam War | [...] | Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency | | In office September 2001– June 2006 | | President | George W. Bush | | Preceded by | James C. King") | | Succeeded by | Robert Murrett") | | Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency") | | In office November 1991– August 1995 | | President | George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton | | Preceded by | Dennis Nagy")(Acting) | | Succeeded by | Kenneth Minihan") | | | | Personal details |
- [PDF] JAMES CLAPPER
JAMES CLAPPER Former Director of National Intelligence Jim Clapper is one of the finest intelligence minds of the 21st century. From 2010 until 2017, he served as the fourth-ever Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the nation’s top intelligence official and the principal intelligence advisor to the President. He provided the President’s daily morning brief and held one of the broadest portfolios in the entire government, overseeing 200,000 intelligence employees internationally, a $52 [...] Director Clapper is the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President George H.W. Bush, Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency under President George W. Bush, and the first Director of Defense Intelligence within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. During the course of the Vietnam War, Clapper flew 73 combat support missions over Laos and Cambodia. He is a recipient of the Defense [...] billion budget, and high-profile organizations like the CIA, NSA, and FBI. Called one of America’s “most experienced and most respected intelligence officials” by President Obama, Director Clapper is a retired Air Force Lieutenant General who served two tours in Southeast Asia. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, he brings 50 plus years of military and intelligence experience to discussions regarding the unprecedented breadth of challenges facing the U.S.
- Faces of Defense Intelligence: The Honorable James R. Clapper, Jr.
from 2001-2006, then became the second under secretary of defense for Intelligence until 2010. For the last seven years, James Clapper filled the highest intelligence-related position in the U.S. as the director of national intelligence. During his career, he also served as a consultant for the House Intelligence Committee, the former Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office, the Defense Policy and Science Boards, as president of the Security Affairs Support Association, and on various
- [PDF] biography of james r. clapper
BIOGRAPHY OF JAMES R. CLAPPER The Honorable James R. Clapper served as the fourth U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from August 9, 2010 to January 20, 2017. In this position, Mr. Clapper led the United States Intelligence Community and served as the principal intelligence advisor to President Barack Obama. Mr. Clapper retired in 1995 after a distinguished career in the U.S. Armed Forces. His career began in 1961 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and culminated as a [...] Towers bombing in 1996, was vice chairman of a commission chaired by former Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia on the subject of homeland security, and served on the NSA Advisory Board. Mr. Clapper returned to the government two days after 9/11 as the first civilian director of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). He served in this capacity for almost five years, transforming it into the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) as it is known today. Prior to becoming the Director
DBPedia
View on DBPediaJames Robert Clapper Jr. (born March 14, 1941) is a retired lieutenant general in the United States Air Force and former Director of National Intelligence. Clapper has held several key positions within the United States Intelligence Community. He served as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 1992 until 1995. He was the first director of defense intelligence within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and simultaneously the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. He served as the director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) from September 2001 until June 2006. On June 5, 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Clapper to replace Dennis C. Blair as United States Director of National Intelligence. Clapper was unanimously confirmed by the Senate for the position on August 5, 2010. Following the June 2013 leak of documents detailing the NSA practice of collecting telephone metadata on millions of Americans' telephone calls, Clapper was accused of perjury for telling a congressional committee hearing that the NSA does not collect any type of data on millions of Americans earlier that year. One senator asked for his resignation, and a group of 26 senators complained about Clapper's responses under questioning. In November 2016, Clapper resigned as director of national intelligence, effective at the end of President Obama's term. In May 2017, he joined the Washington, D.C.–based think tank the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) as a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Intelligence and National Security. In August 2017, CNN hired Clapper as a national security analyst.
