Trump condemns intelligence agents for ‘criminal leaks’
DONALD TRUMP is waging war on his own intelligence agencies over “un-American” leaks that revealed his campaign aides had been in regular contact with Russian intelligence officials and led to the resignation of his national security adviser.
Mr Trump claimed agents with a political vendetta against him are intent on undermining his presidency.
He laid the responsibility for “criminal leaks” firmly at their feet.
“It’s a criminal act and it’s been going on for a long time before me, but now it’s really going on. People are trying to cover up for a terrible loss that the Democrats had under Hillary Clinton,” Mr Trump said during a press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
Mr Trump also defended Michael Flynn, who had been among his top advisers before it emerged that he had misled the White House over the nature of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.
“General Flynn is a wonderful man. I think he’s been treated very, very unfairly by the media, as I call it – the fake media, in many cases. And I think it’s really a sad thing that he was treated so badly,” he said.
Mr Trump’s spokesman had said that the president had demanded Mr Flynn resign because his trust in him had been “eroding”.
The president also lashed out at US intelligence on Twitter yesterday, saying the “real scandal” was not communication between top campaign aides and Russia, but the repeated leaks of classified information emerging from the US government.
He cited the FBI and National Security Agency as possible sources of “illegal” information provided to the “fail-
New York Times and Washington Post”. He accused US media outlets of “conspiracy theories and blind hatred” in an apparent reference to reports on ties between his aides and Russia.
James Williamson, a retired colonel in the US special forces and co-founder of a group opposing classified leaks, said Mr Trump had “every right to be angered” by the flow of sensitive information out of the government.
“They’re using intelligence as a political weapon and that’s dangerous for so many reasons,” he told The Daily Telegraph, adding that “the people leaking are criminals”.
Mr Williamson said Mr Flynn had been “targeted for political assassination”, possibly due to his past criticisms of the CIA.
Democrats and some Republicans, including senators Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, have called for Mr Flynn to be brought before congressional committees.
Others, including House intelligence chairman Devin Nunes, have said the focus should be on the leaks, and not on what Mr Flynn discussed with the ambassador.
Robert Harward, a retired viceadmiral, was reportedly offered the national security adviser post following Mr Flynn’s resignation.
Mr Trump had his first cabinet nominee withdraw yesterday. Andy Puzder, the fast food executive, had been criticised by Republicans for his position on immigration and by Democrats for his stance on wages.
A tape published by Politico showing his wife accusing him of abuse in a 1990 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show made his position even more tenuous. Mr Puzder has repeatedly denied the accusations of abuse. His wife later withdrew the allegations.