Trump: I’ll give Russia secrets if I feel like it
US PRESIDENT DEFENDS ISIS INFO LEAK
DONALD Trump yesterday defended sharing classified intelligence with Russia, saying he has an “absolute right” to do so as president of the United States.
He was forced to defend himself after apparently disclosing restricted information about an Isis plot during last week’s White House meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and their ambassador Sergey Kislyak.
Trump is said to have boasted: “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day.”
He initially sent out his aides, including his national security adviser HR McMaster, to say the allegations were “totally false”.
But yesterday he tweeted: “As president I wanted to share with Russia, which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining to terrorism and airline flight safety.”
He added: “Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against Isis and terrorism.”
Trump’s move is not illegal because the president has the authority to declassify information.
But his actions were criticised by influential US law-makers.
Republican senator Bob Corker said: “The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order.”
Democratic senator Patrick Leahy said that so-called “code word information” is one of the most highly classified forms of intelligence available. He added: “It would be almost inconceivable that any president would let something of that nature out.”
Trump also angrily tweeted about how the information had emerged, demanding “to find the LEAKERS in the intelligence community”.
The revelations could further damage Trump’s fraught relationship with US intelligence agencies.
He has questioned their competence and challenged their assessment that Russia meddled in last year’s presidential election to help him win.
Last week’s conversations in the Oval Office took place hours after he fired James Comey, the respected FBI director, who was overseeing the Russia investigation.
A European security official said Trump’s actions could harm relationships between the US and its intelligence-sharing partners.
They added: “It could impact the trust that has been built.”