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WaPo Breaks News – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats

The Washington Post – Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats – “The president’s disclosures to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in their Oval Office meeting last week jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State — an information-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, current and former U.S. officials said. Trump appeared to be boasting of the “great intel” he receives when he described a looming terror threat, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.”

  • WaPo – Lawmakers express shock, concern about disclosure – “The chaos” in the administration “creates a worrisome environment,” said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.
  • Politico – “The Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee slammed Donald Trump on Monday over a report the president divulged highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador…”
  • WSJ – “Spies Keep Intelligence From Donald Trump on Leak Concerns – Decision to withhold information underscores deep mistrust between intelligence community and preside.”
  • The New York Times – Trump Shared Classified Data With Russians, Officials Say – “During an Oval Office meeting with top Russian officials, President Trump is said to have described highly classified material about a new ISIS plot. The details had not even been shared with American allies, and the disclosure could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship.”
  • WSJ posted article with White House rebuttal that included multiple statements from members of Congress and former administration officials: …
    “Giving the Russians intelligence that our counterterrorism partners have asked us to protect is incredibly dangerous,” said Jeremy Bash, the former Pentagon chief of staff under President Obama. “It will ensure that those partners don’t share with us he information we need to protect ourselves.”

    • “It’s so mind-boggling, I don’t even know what to say,” said Eric Edelman, a former undersecretary of defense during the George W. Bush administration. “I’m completely gobsmacked. It’s jeopardizing a human source. It’s the one thing you’re trained to never do. If what Post is reporting is true, it’s a stunning indication of his unfitness for office.”

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