The DNI refused to answer when asked if Trump was briefed on Russia placing a bounty on US troops in his written daily briefing.
The White House is trying to claim Trump wasn’t briefed, but they won’t say if it was included in his daily briefing:
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which last night said Trump and Pence never got a briefing on Russia bounty intel, is declining this morning to say whether the intel was included in a written President's Daily Brief
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) June 28, 2020
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
The administration’s refusal to say whether or not the information was included in Trump’s written daily brief answers the question. Trump was briefed. He didn’t read it.
The White House’s idea that briefings only count if they are communicated to Trump orally, through crayon drawings, or whatever method that the President’s four-second attention span can tolerate is absurd.
A president is supposed to read the daily intelligence briefing. It is part of his/her job. Trump ignored the information, which is not the same as not being briefed. There are reports that Trump was briefing late March. The administration has taken no action against Russia.
US troops are at risk because Donald Trump refuses to read.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
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
