Washington Post: Trump Leaked Classified Info to Russia

HR McMaster says the story as reported is 'false'
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 15, 2017 6:35 PM CDT
Washington Post : Trump Leaked Classified Info to Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, next to Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 10, 2017.   (Russian Foreign Ministry Photo via AP)

The Washington Post is out with what it's calling a bombshell Monday night: According to anonymous officials, President Trump revealed highly classified information during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak last week. The officials say the information had to do with an ISIS terrorist threat involving laptop computers on airplanes, and that Trump revealed details that came from an intelligence partner without that partner's permission. Such a revelation could threaten the US' relationship with said partner, the sources say. Most worryingly, they say, is the fact that Trump allegedly revealed the specific city in ISIS territory where the intelligence partner detected the threat, which could allow Russia to uncover which US ally was involved.

Trump "revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies," according to one source. "It is all kind of shocking," says another. "Trump seems to be very reckless and doesn’t grasp the gravity of the things he’s dealing with." Even so, the Post explains that the alleged leak likely isn't illegal, since as president Trump has broad power to declassify information. At a press conference responding to the Post article, national security adviser HR McMaster said the story as reported is "false." "The president and the foreign minister reviewed a range of common threats to our two countries, including threats to civil aviation. At no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed, and the president did not disclose any military operations that were not already publicly known." The Post's full story is here. (More President Trump stories.)

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