While trying to clean up the scandal from Trump leaking classified intelligence to Russia, national security adviser H.R. McMaster made things even worse.
McMaster would not confirm or deny that Trump leaked classified information:
Asked by @jonkarl whether Trump shared classified info with Russians, McMaster says "We don't say what's classified, what's not classified." pic.twitter.com/IvI6t8d5QL
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 16, 2017
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Here is McMaster claiming that Trump had no idea where the information came from:
H.R. McMaster: "The president wasn't even aware of where this information came from." https://t.co/kUm99ihhM8 pic.twitter.com/ktbwXCteMh
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 16, 2017
McMaster said, “He shares information in a way that is wholly appropriate. I should maybe just make the statement here that the president wasn’t even aware of where this information came from. He wasn’t briefed on the sources and methods.”
So, Trump was just blurting out classified information to hostile foreign power that he was hosting in the Oval Office.
That is worse than if Trump knowingly decided to declassify something and share it with the Russians.
The reality is that this was all White House spin. The only way to know what was said in that meeting is for the White House to release the transcripts. If Trump did nothing wrong, the White House could clear this up by releasing the transcript.
The story that this White House is telling now makes no sense and looks even worse for Trump.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association