Trump adds to Moscow mystery, says CIA chief's visit was 'semi-routine'

Y. LAST YEAR A DEAL THAT SPARED HIM. THE DEATH PENALTY. >> John: PRESIDENT TRUMP. PLAYING COY ABOUT A MYSTERY TRIP. TO MOSCOW BY CAA CHIEF. JOHN RATCLIFFE CALLING THE. MEETINGS "SUNDAY ROUTINE.". LEAVING PLENTY OF QUESTIONS. ABOUT WHAT RATCLIFFE WAS THERE. TO DISCUSS LET'S BRING IN DAN. HOFFMAN FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR AND. FORMER CIA STATION CHIEF IN. MOSCOW WHO KNOWS THE LANDSCAPE. WELL. I DON'T KNOW HOW ROUTINE THIS IS. BECAUSE THE LAST CIA DIRECTOR TO. VISIT MOSCOW WAS WILLIAM BURNS.

THAT WAS BACK IN 2021. CLEARLY HAPPENS WITH RARITY. WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS BEHIND. THIS? WAS HE TALKING ABOUT IRAN? WAS HE TALKING ABOUT UKRAINE? WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA? >> I'LL GIVE PRESIDENT TRUMP A. LOT OF CREDIT FOR OBFUSCATING ON. WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON BEHIND. THE SCENES BECAUSE WHAT HE'S. DOING WITH THE PRESIDENT'S DOING. IS PROTECTING THIS SECRET. CLANDESTINE CHANNEL WHICH WE. HAVE USED IN THE PAST TO. NEGOTIATE OVER CONTENTIOUS.

ISSUES AND RESOLVE ISSUES OF. MUTUAL INTEREST TO OUR NATIONS. LIKE THE 2010 SPY SWAP. IT'S NOT SUBJECTED TO ANY PUBLIC. SCRUTINY. YOU CAN HAVE VERY FRANK AND. DIRECT CONVERSATIONS. I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON. I THINK THAT THERE HAD TO BE. SOME SORT OF INTELLIGENCE. COLLECTION ABOUT AN IMMINENT. NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT OR AN. ISSUE THAT CAME UP THAT LED TO. THIS IMPORTANT TRIP BY DIRECTOR. RATCLIFFE. DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE HAS A LOT OF.

THINGS GOING ON EVERY DAY, THE. FACT THAT HE CHOSE TO MAKE THIS. LONG TRIP MEANS IT'S SOMETHING. IMPORTANT TO GET TO YOUR. QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IT IS. EXACTLY, THAT'S WHAT THE. SPECULATION IS GOING TO START. WHAT I WOULD SAY MOST LIKELY IS. THE FACT THAT RUSSIA HAS. ESCALATED THREATS IN EUROPE TO. NATO MEMBERS. SUBMARINES IN BRITISH. TERRITORIAL WATERS, VIOLATIONS. OF AIRSPACE, CYBERATTACKS, ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT COULD. LEAD TO ESCALATION AND. POTENTIALLY EVEN A WIDER WAR.

WE MIGHT HAVE COLLECTED. INTELLIGENCE ON SOMETHING LIKE. THAT AND DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE. WANTED TO DELIVER A WARNING TO. VLADIMIR PUTIN'S SECURITY. OFFICIALS DIRECTLY AND IN. PERSON. >> John: BACK IN 2021 WILLIAM. BURNS WENT TO MEET WITH THE. RUSSIANS AND DELIVERED A WARNING. SAYING DON'T INVADE UKRAINE. BECAUSE XY AND Z WILL HAPPEN IF. YOU DO. THE RUSSIANS SUMMARILY IGNORED. HIM AND INVADED UKRAINE SO WHAT. DO YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN THIS. TIME AROUND IF RATCLIFFE WAS. ARTICULATING U.S. INTELLIGENCE. ON SOME SORT OF LOOMING RUSSIAN.

THREAT? >> RIGHT. I THINK THAT'S THE KEY. DETERRENCE REQUIRES CREDIBILITY. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE. RUSSIANS HAD MASSED LOTS OF. TROOPS ON THE BORDER WITH. UKRAINE AND THEY ASSESSED THAT. THE UNITED STATES PARTICULARLY. AFTER OUR WITHDRAWAL FROM. AFGHANISTAN WOULD NOT BE IN A. POSITION TO LEAD NATO TO RESPOND. TO RUSSIA'S ATTACK ON UKRAINE. AND SO REGARDLESS OF WHETHER. BASSETT OR BURNS MADE THAT TRIP. COME I THINK VLADIMIR PUTIN WAS.

GOING TO INVADE. REMEMBER PRESIDENT BIDEN TALKED. ABOUT SANCTIONING RUSSIA IN. RETURN FOR THAT, IN RESPONSE TO. AN ATTACK. IN THIS CASE, OUR CREDIBILITY IS. ON THE LINE IF WE WARNED RUSSIA. NOT TO DO SOMETHING, THEN. VLADIMIR PUTIN WOULD HAVE TO. BELIEVE THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP. WOULD RESPOND OR LEADER RESPONSE. OF SOME SORT THAT WOULD CAUSE. RUSSIA UNDUE HARM. >> John: PRESIDENT BIDEN ALSO. SAID IT WAS A LITTLE INCURSION, THAT'S ONE THING. I THINK PUTIN VIEWED AS A GREEN. LIGHT.

THE PRESIDENT WAS PLAYING THINGS. VERY CLOSE TO HIS VEST REGARDING. THIS VISIT THE RUSSIANS ARE LESS. SO. THIS IS PUTIN'S SPOKESMAN. LISTEN. >> ALL I CAN TELL YOU IS THERE. WERE CONTACTS THROUGH THE. INTELLIGENCE SERVICES. I CAN TELL YOU THERE WERE NO. MEETINGS WITH THE RUSSIAN. PRESIDENT. THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY ON THIS. MATTER. OF COURSE PRESIDENT PUTIN IS. BRIEFED ON EVERYTHING. IMMEDIATELY. >> John: HE MET WITH. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS, NOT THE. PRESIDENT PUTIN KNOWS EVERYTHING. THAT GOES ON THERE SO WHERE DO. YOU THINK WE GO FROM HERE? >> THAT'S THE BEST CONDUIT TO.

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WHO. HIMSELF OF COURSE WAS KGB. OFFICER SO IF YOU WANT TO GET A. MESSAGE TO PUTIN, YOU SPEAK TO. THE DIRECTOR OF THE SVR. DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE'S. COUNTERPART. OR DIRECTOR OF THE FSB, RUSSIA'S. RUTHLESS INTERNAL SECURITY. SERVICE. WHERE WE GO FROM HERE IS THAT. THE CIA AND OUR OTHER. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES WILL STUDY. WHETHER WE ARE SEEING ANY. REFLECTIONS RESULTING FROM. DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE'S VISIT SO. THE RUSSIANS WILL TALK ABOUT.

THIS AND POTENTIALLY WE HAVE. SOURCES OF INTELLIGENCE THAT. WILL TELL US HOW SERIOUSLY. VLADIMIR PUTIN TOOK THIS MESSAGE. FROM DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE AND YOU. MAY SEE FOLLOW UP ACTION FROM. THE UNITED STATES. WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT I THINK. IS THAT DIRECTOR RATCLIFFE WAS. SPEAKING WITH SENIOR RUSSIAN. OFFICIALS AND MANY OF THEM. UNDERSTAND THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN. HAS SPILLED A LOT OF BLOOD AND. TREASURE ON THAT WAR IN UKRAINE. AND I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO BE. LISTENING CAREFULLY WHEN THEY. DIRECTOR SPEAKS. >> John: CAN'T FIGURE OUT. AS MUCH BLOOD AND TREASURE AS. RUSSIA HAS EXPENDED ON THAT WAR.

AND GOTTEN NOWHERE, WHY WOULD HE. SEEK TO EXPAND IT? DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. WHAT DO I NO? YOU'RE THE GUY W.