Putin call leak angers Trump

Source says Kelly is furious, ‘there’s going to be a scalp’

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and some aides were furious on Wednesday after the leak of sensitive notes for briefing the president before a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to aides and a close associate.

The leak appeared designed to embarrass Trump for congratulating rather than confronting Putin — contrary to the notes’ recommendation.

“If this story is accurate, that means someone leaked the president’s briefing papers,” said a senior White House official not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. “Leaking such information is a fireable offense and likely illegal.”

Trump spoke with Putin on Tuesday and was criticized afterward, including by Republican lawmakers, for congratulating the Russian leader on his re-election Sunday. The president did so despite widespread outrage, including among other administration officials, that Putin’s government has subverted democracy in Russia, continues to try to disrupt U.S. elections, is committing atrocities in Syria and recently carried out an assassination attempt in Britain using a military-grade nerve agent.

The Washington Post reported late Tuesday, citing unnamed officials, that Trump ignored a warning in his briefing materials, written in capital letters, that said “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.” It is unclear whether the president saw the material, sources said.

Leaking such materials is an extraordinary step, given the level of sensitivity in contacts between the president and a foreign leader, especially a geopolitical rival. The disclosure about the Putin call, however, is especially fraught, underscoring Trump’s muchcriticized insistence on warm relations with Putin despite national security concerns, as well as the president’s own political and legal vulnerability amid a special counsel’s probe of Russia’s election interference.

Significantly, the leak also suggests that dismay with Trump’s stance extends to his inner circle.

White House chief of staff John Kelly also is said to be infuriated — “on a warpath,” according to the person in close contact with national security officials. The leak further undercuts Kelly, who has prided himself on bringing more order to the White House since arriving last summer, and on ensuring that Trump has high-quality briefing material.

“Trump’s mad enough and Kelly’s embarrassed to some extent that this is happening,” the person said. “And I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a scalp over this.”

The latest White House uproar comes as Trump moves toward a major confrontation with China over its trade practices, as administration officials put the final touches on billions of dollars of tariffs aimed at Chinese exports and possible restrictions on investments in the U.S.

An announcement by Trump is “imminent,” the administration’s chief trade negotiator, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, told members of the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.

Trump is expected to impose roughly $30 billion in tariffs on Chinese exports to the U.S., according to a U.S. official familiar with the internal discussions who did not want to be quoted in advance of the formal announcement. A recent Washington Post report put the figure at $60 billion.

The taxes on imports and other steps Trump plans to take are aimed at ending China’s long practice of pressuring U.S. firms to turn over technology and production secrets, and in some cases stealing them using cyber-theft and other forms of industrial espionage.

The moves likely would raise the prices of a wide variety of Chinese goods, such computers and other electronics.

The goal would be to hit products with a maximum impact on China and the least possible impact on U.S. consumers, Lighthizer said. But he warned that China could retaliate against U.S. exports. And outside analysts have warned the moves could generate a damaging trade war.

Chinese officials made clear that retaliation was likely.

The moves against China come at a time of increasing global trade tensions from the administration’s recent decision to slap sweeping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Those tariffs are scheduled to take effect Friday, even though the administration has not decided on a long list of requests by countries and specific industries for exemptions.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and European Union Trade Minister Cecilia Malmstrom issued a joint statement pledging to negotiate “as rapidly as possible” on the issue.

The Trump administration will decide by the end of April which countries will be spared from steep taxes on steel and aluminum imports.

ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AP President Donald Trump’s congratulatory phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin was criticized by some lawmakers. An internal investigation is underway about the leak.