The reporter who broke the story on President Donald Trump’s classified intelligence reveal told CNN Monday that the White House is “playing word games” with its statements of denial to “try to blunt the impact” of the story.
The Post’s Greg Miller wrote that Trump revealed highly classified intelligence that came from a key source on the Islamic State terror group.
That information was related to a “specific threat” from ISIS and the information Trump shared with the Russians included the city in the Islamic State-held territory from which the intelligence was gathered – potentially endangering the US ally who shared the information.
The intelligence is said to have been so sensitive, it was closely guarded within the US government.
But statements of denial from the Trump administration did not address The Post’s claims:
- National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster told reporters that, during Trump’s meeting with the Russians last week, common threats were reviewed, but “at no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released a statement saying “the nature of specific threats were discussed, but they did not discuss sources, methods, or military operations.” And Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell called The Post’s story “false” and said, “The president only discussed the common threats that both countries faced.”
Miller rebutted the Trump administration’s denial:
“If this was all so above-board and not problematic in any way, why did the National Security Council … feel it was necessary to contact the CIA director, and the Director of the National Security Agency to give them a heads up on what Trump had just told the Russians?”
The CIA and NSA have not released statements.
Despite the sensitive nature of the classified information Trump is said to have revealed, as president, Trump acted within his legal right.
Watch Greg Miller defend his story on CNN:
Het bericht Washington Post reporter: The White House is ‘playing word games’ with its denial of Trump’s alleged classified intel reveal verscheen eerst op Business Insider.