Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador

[DonViejo]

Last edited Mon May 15, 2017, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: The Washington Post

Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador


By Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe May 15 at 5:01 PM

President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said that Trumps disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State.

The information Trump relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said.

The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said that Trumps decision to do so risks cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trumps meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and National Security Agency.

This is code-word information, said a U.S. official familiar with the matter, using terminology that refers to one of the highest classification levels used by American spy agencies. Trump revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html

---

UPDATE:


Trump Revealed Highly Classified Intelligence to Russia, in Break With Ally, Officials Say


WASHINGTON — President Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence in a meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week, providing details that could expose the source of the information and the manner in which it was collected, a current and a former American government official said Monday.

The intelligence disclosed by Mr. Trump in a meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, was about an Islamic State plot, according to the officials. A foreign ally that closely guards its own secrets provided the information, which was considered so sensitive that American officials did not share it widely within the United States government or pass it on to other allies.

Mr. Trump’s disclosure does not appear to have been illegal — the president has the power to declassify almost anything. But sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it represented a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship.

“The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order,” Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee and the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters, adding, “It’s got to happen.”

-snip-

Asked about the larger effect of the disclosure, Mr. Corker said, “To compromise a source is something that you just don’t do, and that’s why we keep the information that we get from intelligence sources so close as to prevent that from happening.”

Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia and the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter, “If true, this is a slap in the face to the intel community. Risking sources & methods is inexcusable, particularly with the Russians.”

more
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html


---------------------------------------------------------------

Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information To Russians During White House Visit

-snip-

Two US officials who were briefed on Trumps disclosures last week confirmed to BuzzFeed News the veracity of the Post report, with one official noting that its far worse than what has already been reported.

The Senate Intelligence Committee was also briefed on Trumps disclosures, one of the officials said.

A CIA spokesman declined to comment on the record when reached by BuzzFeed News. The official referred requests for comment to the National Security Council. The National Security Council did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for a comment.

The classified information Trump shared included intelligence on ISIS that had been passed to the US by a partner, which was not identified. But Trump's disclosure was considered a potential blow to the intelligence-sharing arrangement, and White House officials reportedly moved quickly to contain the fallout.

After news of Trump's revelations broke Monday, Sen. Bob Corker a Tennessee Republican and chairman of the Foreign Relations committee said "obviously they're in a downward spiral right now and they've got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that's happening."

-snip-
https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimdalrympleii/trump-highly-classified-information-russians?utm_term.dslBnnPgz#.rjxXAA59Z

[cstanleytech]

1. Legally though I am not sure if anything can be done because doesnt the President have the legal

right to declassify information at will?

[Blue_Adept]

6. The legality isn't the problem. It's the political side, like impeachment.

There's no legal context for impeachment, it's all a political exercise.

This reveal, if fully confirmed, basically gives an incredible amount of political ammunition to those aligned against him. And it will be used like a bludgeon as it should.

[L. Coyote]

152. At least the White House found a way to move off the Comey story

and back to the Russia story

Link to tweet

[DonViejo]

7. Yes, but....

Can Trump Disclose Classified Information Whenever He Wants?
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/can-trump-disclose-classified-information-whenever-he-wants-n729601

[uppityperson]

35. Is this treason? I ask because I don't know

[herding cats]

62. I don't believe it would be.

Treason has a very narrow definition in the Constitution, and we're not in a declared war with Russia.

[Amaryllis]

51. The WaPo article said unlikely he broke the law:

"For most anyone in government discussing such matters with an adversary would be illegal. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law."

[dawn frenzy adams]

97. The M$M keeps defending him.

Can you imagine if Obama had did this? the M$M did little to protect Obama from the onslaught of conspiracy theories. In fact, they helped to propagate them. There was no rush from the M$M to defend Obama-- when he was doing everything right. Instead, they made scandals up. The birther issue was one of many. But Trump, whose behavior is not a conspiracy, but is an actual fact, is defended by the M$M. They normalized the madness that is Trump, and remains the main vehicle responsible for his presidency. If we had a viable and patriotic Fourth Estate, Trump would have never been elected.

[forgotmylogin]

154. I think, like with Comey, it's all about context.

Firing the FBI director is something he's allowed to do, but the whys and wherefores call it into question within a larger scale of behavior.

It's legal to hit a golf ball, but if you hit a golf boll into a crowd of people and jeopardize their safety, that's another thing.

[cisco man]

192. I keep waiting...

& waiting for MSM to stop this crap, but alas, they are all about the money now, pure & simple. I don't think we'll see them stop normalizing the crazy man & the republicans any time soon.

[bora13]

101. aiding and abetting

18 U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

[Voltaire2]

113. If we were at war with Russia you would have a point.

we aren't, and however odious it is, and it is stunningly odious, Trump can blurt out anything he chooses to blurt out declassifying each blurt by doing so. This is certainly impeachment worthy, but most likely not a violation of any criminal statute and certainly nowhere near treason.

The issue with all of this is how much more the Republican Party establishment will put up with before they have had enough. My guess is infinity more.

[Enoki33]

139. It is particularly noteworthy that it is Russia involved.

[ThoughtCriminal]

148. We imprisoned and even executed spies that sold or gave secrets to the USSR

even though we were not at war. This comes down to "It's legal if the President does it".

[Voltaire2]

163. Yes we did. But not for treason.

There are two issues I responded to- criminal violations of, for example the espionage laws, and treason. I don't think the president can be charged under various espionage laws because he has the authority to declassify anything at anytime. Nobody else other than the president has that sort of power. So examples of non presidents being charged with espionage law violations for disclosing classified information really aren't relevant. That leaves treason, and again, we aren't at war with Russia. It would be a remarkable stretch to put his actions into the definition of treason

[lastlib]

169. you're missing something here....

"...owing allegiance to the United States..."

Tinyhands' only allegiance is to himself and to Uncle Vlad. Those take precedence to him.

[treestar]

180. That law assumes it would not be done

carelessly or for the President's personal interests above those of the nation. I guess no one ever guessed we would put a moron into that office.

Donald did not carefully decide to declassify anything, we know that much about him.

[Eliot Rosewater]

57. This is why electing him, which we didnt, is not an option, because YES

by definition when he says it then it becomes declassified automatically.

Anyone who supports him is now a traitor.

[Sophiegirl]

10. No

He does not. There are safeguards that specify who is allowed and who is not to receive and dispense classified info. He does not have the authority to arbitrarily make that decision without full council and arbitration -read approval - from DoD and State.

[cstanleytech]

20. Question is will the Repugnants take any action either to punish him (which I doubt they will do) or

work to prevent him from doing it again.

[lostnfound]

36. So much for having allies. The ally is going to be very unhappy, I imagine. Nt

[avebury]

87. Our allies might back off from working with the US

as long as Trump and his minions are in office. It just is not in their best interest to share information with the US. Trump is way to much of a loose canon and cannot be trusted at all.

[central scrutinizer]

111. Unhappy or maybe dead

Or family held hostage or...

[Eliot Rosewater]

63. I would love it if you are right, but I think as prez he can decslassify info simply

by speaking it out loud.

[dixiegrrrrl]

41. We went thru this last time he did something similar.

A Pres. can declassify info. only by signing a statement to that effect, which then goes thru channels.
he cannot just blurt out classified info. to all and sundry and claim that because he is Pres. he has unclassified it.
ESP. to the Russians who are a target of investigation now.

[LiberalFighter]

58. Glad you pointed that out.

I would also consider there to be a difference with divulging info allies vs. adversaries.

[Eliot Rosewater]

67. I hope so, I am making my comments based on an assumption that he can

declassify simply by saying it. Hope you are right

Wont matter of course, the GOP are no longer patriots and wont do shit about it

[riversedge]

88. Yes he can..

from the article.

...........For almost anyone in government, discussing such matters with an adversary would be illegal. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.

“The president and the foreign minister reviewed common threats from terrorist organizations to include threats to aviation,” said H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, who participated in the meeting. “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.”

The CIA declined to comment, and the NSA did not respond to requests for comment.

[dixiegrrrrl]

150. " authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.

is actually at odds with how it was spelled out when he first started blabbing about classified stuff.

Yes, a President does have broad authority to declassify
but
it has been widely reported that there is a process, a paper trail, that has to be done, which I would imagine was put into place to give wiser heads a chance to input on the issue.

[riversedge]

84. Per the article -yes....

....For almost anyone in government, discussing such matters with an adversary would be illegal. As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law.

“The president and the foreign minister reviewed common threats from terrorist organizations to include threats to aviation,” said H.R. McMaster, the national security adviser, who participated in the meeting. “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.”

The CIA declined to comment, and the NSA did not respond to requests for comment.

[irisblue]

2. Words fail me

[CanonRay]

31. I think I've said that ten times this week

[StevieM]

119. It's shocking but not surprising, if that makes an sense. (eom)

[tblue37]

160. Too bad they don't fail Cheato. nt

[Sophiegirl]

3. I suppose I don't need to say this...

I have held high security clearances for over 28 years. Not code-word, but even so.....Trump is the worst danger to national security in my lifetime and probably longer than that!

WHO IS GOING TO STEP UP AND END THIS NIGHTMARE!!!

[Madam45for2923]

17. I totally agree! This guy is a walking sign saying : Stupid, Dangerous & Malicious.

UGH!

[red dog 1]

22. Senate Democrats alone will not be able "to step up & end this nightmare"

Assuming all 46 Democrats, including Joe Manchin (D-W.VA), + the two Independents, Bernie Sanders & Angus King, all vote together; it will still take at least three Senate Republicans "to step up and end this nightmare."

Without help from 3 Senate Republicans, this nightmare will never end!

[Bradical79]

39. Such a small number...

Out of 51 Republican Senators, you would think at least 3 or 4 would actually give a damn about this country. Yet here we are, Republicans acting in unison to keep a traitor in the Whitehouse.

[lostnfound]

42. This issue could turn out to be significant enough that some republicans will cross.

John McCain and Lindsay Graham do care about national security issues. And even if they don't want to admit it, some other republicans might be glad for the nightmare to end, too, because trump is killing their party's future.

[red dog 1]

48. I agree, McCain & Graham do seem to care about national security issues

(Perhaps Susan Collins does too?)

[LisaM]

50. They say they do....

but when voting time comes around, they never seem to act on it.

[red dog 1]

56. Perhaps they will act on it now?

(One can only hope)

[NewRedDawn]

122. McCain, Graham , Collins, Rubio.

Are all huff no puff. Useless bastards like the other 48 Neo Confederate traitorous fuckers.

[tblue37]

161. Flake and Sasse also talk a good game but never refuse to toe the party line. nt

[Sophiegirl]

172. Rubio is a coward.

Externally, he appears to know much about foreign affairs, but he will be lock-step with the Rs when it comes to party politics.

[FiveGoodMen]

55. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[woodsprite]

66. And you can count on Manchin - so at least 4 repubs. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

76. Impeachment needs a two thirds majority in the Senate

plus a majority in the House to start it, of course. Or is there another way?

[karynnj]

121. You need 67 Senators to throw out the President, after half plus 1 in the House vote to impeach NT

[elleng]

37. Thanks, Sophiegirl.

Your experience is and will be invaluable to us. I'm taking a break now, so see you later.

[Eliot Rosewater]

69. Too bad trump isnt a democrat, McCain would go apeshit all over him and impeach him in 5

minutes

[madaboutharry]

4. Trump needs to be impeached or removed from office by means of the 25th Amendment.

This: "The information Trump relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said."

Trump is a danger to the national security of The United States. He is either an ignoramus or suffering from dementia. Or both.

[red dog 1]

43. Without bi-partisan support for impeachment in the House, and conviction in the Senate,

Trump will not be impeached or removed from office by means of the 25th Amendment.

Democrats alone are powerless, since they don't control either the House or the Senate.

Are there some Congressional Republicans with enough courage to do what needs to be done?

Are there some Congressional Republicans who will vote against the wishes of Speaker Eddie Munster and McTurtle?

Those are the questions that need to be answered.

[Eliot Rosewater]

70. Without patriots in the GOP, you mean

[cisco man]

166. maybe....maybe not

but you're right...the majority in congress are a bunch of spineless low-lifes. I can only hope people will remember in 2018, but I have doubts. I'd love to be wrong!!! I don't see any actual attention to anything this shit-show of a president is doing that is making the country sit up & take notice.....yet. I am willing to be pleasantly surprised.

[wildeyed]

5. It's not a leak, it's a waterfall.

How sure are we that Trump is an actual Russian asset now?

[Eliot Rosewater]

71. He is and has been since about 10 years ago when they bought him with their loans.

[geek tragedy]

8. But. Her. Emails. nt

[JaneQPublic]

9. Just as long as he didn't email it to an unclassified server!

[Eliot Rosewater]

72. LOL yeah, but he and Hillary are the same I was told.

[JaneQPublic]

94. Same with Gore and Shrub. That turned out well, too

[Sculpin Beauregard]

11. He needs to be arrested for espionage for foreign gov't.

[TygrBright]

12. Of COURSE he did... n/t

[WheelWalker]

13. Who'da thunk it?

[WheelWalker]

15. No time left for lazy leakers... cue the dam breach on three: 1, 2, ....

[SHRED]

14. Republican response will be:

"It's okay they helped us win the Whitehouse, it's the least we can do."

[Honeycombe8]

16. OMG. I wonder how they know he revealed that? nt

[Eliot Rosewater]

75. That is a very interesting question, actually. RT?

[obamanut2012]

124. chatter, i bet

[Egnever]

153. Yup and I bet revealing it was a fuck you for firing Comey.

[obamanut2012]

182. I agree

[7962]

128. Exactky what i was wondering; especially the "former" people. nt

[FakeNoose]

168. There were staffers in the meeting when Trump blabbed everything

Those meetings are never just one or 2 guys, there's a whole roomful of people.
Translators, note-takers, assistants to the assistants.

As soon as the staffers heard him telling the stuff to the Russians, somebody got on the phone to the CIA and NSA.
You know, this deep-cover intelligence and people's covers were blown. And it's not even our spies.
Unbelievable!

[Shell_Seas]

18. But, her emails...

[uppityperson]

19. Holy fuck. Eom

[William Seger]

47. No shit. Eom

[Arkansas Granny]

21. Trump is one of the biggest national security threat we face these days.

[onetexan]

54. yup

was this classified info revealed to the Russians at that meeting last week where no American press was allowed? Holy crap this man needs to be investigated ASAP and thrown out on his orange ass and tried for treason!!

[Freethinker65]

23. How CON-servative of him

McCain and Graham to comment then fade into the fucking GOP woodwork in 3...2...1

Complicit and treasonous. All of them

[Amaryllis]

24. Here is the problem:

" As president, Trump has broad authority to declassify government secrets, making it unlikely that his disclosures broke the law. "
So much of what he does is almost but not quite breaking the law. Seems there is very little the pres can't do without technically breaking the law.

[Justice]

25. This is HUGE. Make no MISTAKE.

"The information Trump relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government."

Partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia.

Trump revealed more information to the Russian ambassador than we have shared with our own allies.

Trump about to go on first foreign trip to meet with allies who are already wary of him and about him and whether they can trust him.

[riversedge]

82. I bet our partner will not share any more top secret information for a while. what a mess!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

149. On top of that he may have compromised the source

From the WaPo article:

Trump went on to discuss aspects of the threat that the United States learned only through the espionage capabilities of a key partner. He did not reveal the specific intelligence-gathering method, but he described how the Islamic State was pursuing elements of a specific plot and how much harm such an attack could cause under varying circumstances. Most alarmingly, officials said, Trump revealed the city in the Islamic State’s territory where the U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat.

[OldHippieChick]

26. If there are no patriotic Rethugs willing to

speak out on this we may all be lost. This is treason.

[red dog 1]

136. + 1

[Tactical Peek]

27. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[procon]

28. IOKIYAR - It's OK If You're A Republican.

Traitors Are Welcome!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

29. How fucking dumb is this asshole?

I mean, seriously....how fucking stupid is he?

[Shell_Seas]

32. Is that a rhetorical question?

[C Moon]

30. When he is ousted from office

they'll have to keep him in solitary. He'll tell anybody anything for money—actually, by that point, he'll probably blab it all just for revenge.
For the rest of my life, I will have ZERO forgiveness for those who voted for him—and an extra heaping of disdain for those who currently defend him.

[Vinca]

33. The man is a complete incompetent, ignorant, bumbling fool.

The Russians must have had a good laugh over this incident.

[Stallion]

34. Doesn't Count-Not Hillary

nm

[bettyellen]

38. More treason. I wonder if Russia leaked this to humiliate him?

[VigilantG]

40. Keep calling your Senators and Representatives.

Is anyone here really shocked by this?

[Thomas Hurt]

44. Got to start paying up for the help with the election sometime....

and getting the sanctions lifted is kind of stalled.

[onecaliberal]

45. Fucking traitorous asshole republicans will let this go too. What in the complete fucking hell.

I feel like ISIS or AlQueda is going to pull off something big while the brainless maggot pals around with communist enemies of the state.

[gldstwmn]

167. That is exactly what is going to happen. n/t

[More_Cowbell]

46. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[Mr. Ected]

49. Can't wait to see FOX News' take on this

I'm sure they'll be inundating the airwaves with talk of this major security breach, since they found that subject so offensive when it was last brought up.

[orangecrush]

52. OMFG

[red dog 1]

53. Kick for exposure!

And the hits just keep on coming!

What act of treason will he commit next?

[MBS]

59. Outrageous.

He is an embarrassment and a danger to our country, and to the world.

[Stuart G]

60. k and r...for exposure...nt

[Achilleaze]

61. republican Comrade Casino* against the United States of America

republicans are just pissing all over America and not a one of them has the courage or will to lift a even a freaking finger to defend the USA. Cowardly. Shameful. Deplorable.

* republican draft-dodger-in-chief

[BeyondGeography]

64. Dipshit was showing off, of course

In his meeting with Lavrov, Trump seemed to be boasting about his inside knowledge of the looming threat. “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,” Trump said, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange.

[spiderpig]

77. Mr. pig put his life on the line for his country.

Marine Corps/Vietnam, while this draft-dodger was farting around joking about "social disease".

There aren't enough words to describe my loathing for this orange-tinted abomination.

Everything is still 100% about HIM.

Jesus wept. (And I'm an atheist)

[Bernardo de La Paz]

80. Except when he is telling the American people he knows more than the Intell Com & doesn't need brief

[Egnever]

141. Are you implying he is a showboat?

[herding cats]

65. He's a danger to every citizen of the USA.

Not to mention the world.

[lark]

68. Glaringly obvious.

He thought he had eliminated his Russia issues by ditching Comey so felt free to engage in treachery. He had this planned out and had to fire Comey before the Russians arrived. I bet he knew they were bringing their photographers and was just rubbing it in our face. You did notice how jolly and how much they were all smirking. Remember this meeting was asked for by Putin! Now we know what he wanted Drumpf to produce and it sounds like he sang like a canary. He knows this is wrong, but will do anything Putin asks, dreaming of money laundering mansions at 100% above cost once the sanctions are removed. Just wonder who's ratting out Hair Furor and what country he fucked over, besides us. Funny, he says defeating ISIS is so critical, then does this which could greatly hurt that effort.

Also, seems really weird that the WH would tell NSA and CIA, must have been someone who hadn't gotten the memo that the real theme is put Russia first.

[Princess Turandot]

137. They had to tell the NSA and CIA. Trump told the Russian the city where the info had been gathered..

The NSA and the CIA then got on the phone to whomever shared the information with the US in the first place, to tell them what happened, so they could take action to protect their assets there if necessary.

[BumRushDaShow]

73. Crystal clear and present danger.

Hopefully the ranking Dems on both Congressional Intelligence Committees demand a briefing (even if closed) in order to acertain how bad this as.

[Stuart G]

74. This story is still being verified..Not at NYT or CNN yet (5:50pm ET)...see additional note please.

Last edited Mon May 15, 2017, 06:45 PM - Edit history (1)

...could this be untrue?...Why haven't other sources picked this up yet?

(additional note)....I was wrong....it is everywhere now....at 5:50pm no, but now 6:45pm .....yes..

[underpants]

90. Washington Post is pretty high up there.

Reading the THREE threads about this it appears CNN and MSNBC are covering it - at least they are reporting on the WaPo story.

[Stuart G]

95. As of 6:13 Eastern Time it is not at the CNN website....I just went there..

http://www.cnn.com/

also, not at BBC yet..

[janx]

103. Here:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/15/politics/trump-russia-classified-information/index.html

[Stuart G]

105. Yes, I was wrong.,you are correct.....I went there a minute ago, and it is up there now...

sorry.......I was wrong....well, it ain't the first time.. This wasn't up there 20 minutes ago..but now it is...
..........................Oh well.............:banghead

[janx]

109. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[Stuart G]

112. It is now at the New York Times...on front page..well......???

I make lots of mistakes....I will leave it up..hell...that is why I use a pencil so often, cause it has an eraser....and.....

I LOVE THE DELETE KEY.......(helps to cover up my mistakes)....... ....oh well....back to work

..................................................................................................................

[Pachamama]

116. NYT notification popped up on my iPad about 20 mins ago...

Unfucking believable...

Trump promises to destroy ISIS and he just cut off information from being shared in future from allies because they won't trust Trump and this will likely result in American deaths and ISIS will not be destroyed....

He is a danger to the safety of America....

[Stuart G]

118. Yes, you are correct., I was wrong, you are right "He is a danger to the safety of America"

[underpants]

78. He was trying to impress his boss's people

[mackdaddy]

79. Did Trump blab this in front of the RUSSIAN MEDIA?

They were with Trump and the Russian Diplomats in the oval office when no American media were allowed in.

Reports were that he was surprised when the Russian media posted Photos of them.

Maybe they had cameras or recorders running when he was releasing this top secret information to them?

Unbelievable.

[mackdaddy]

184. Why YES he did. Link to post

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10141776018

[displacedtexan]

81. Greta just called this a bombshell.

Miller is on msnbc now.

[muriel_volestrangler]

83. It also potentially spread it wider than to the Russians

One of Bossert’s subordinates also called for the problematic portion of Trump’s discussion to be stricken from internal memos and for the full transcript to be limited to a small circle of recipients, efforts to prevent sensitive details from being disseminated further or leaked.

Now, you hope that there's no one apart from Trump in his regime who has the tendency, desire, blackmail or bribe to leak secrets like this. But who knows? Flynn, after all, was being paid by Turkey as well. So, depending on how far the details spread, other countries might have found out the details of an ally's intelligence work. Who might, potentially, be even more unfriendly to them than the Russians are. Trump certainly risked this.

Other countries are going to be less and less willing to tell the American intelligence agencies anything important, in case it get to the president and he tells the next dictator he has over for some KFC.

[DDySiegs]

85. One Thing That Struck Me About the WashPost Article

One of the things that leapt out of the article for me was this gem:

“In his meeting with Lavrov, Trump seemed to be boasting about his inside knowledge of the looming threat. 'I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,' Trump said, according to an official with knowledge of the exchange.' "

What a complete loser! -- The president of the US boasting that he gets good intel. Really? He thought the Russians didn’t know that! I suspect that Lavrov and Kislyack had to go to the Russian embassy doctor after the meeting to be treated for biting their tongues so that they wouldn’t laugh out loud when Trump told them this stuff.

UNBELIEVABLE!

[orleans]

130. he was BRAGGING! that's why he talked

he was TRYING TO IMPRESS his russian pals and he was fucking BRAGGING!!

[jmowreader]

86. This is Executive Order 12356, which covers classification and declassification

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12356.html#3.1

Here's Trump's problem: He can't do just whatever the hell he wants. He could have, in theory, declassified the item and then given it to the Russians, but that doesn't appear to be what he did. (EO 12356 allows a "supervisor" of the department head that classified the item in the first place to declassify it but suggesting this dipshit is the "supervisor" of everyone in the government is stretching things just a bit.) OTOH, he can't just hand the Russians a stack of double-secret Burn Before Reading stuff that's so dangerous to the nation's security we classified the paper it's printed on while it was still a tree.

[benld74]

89. WEll

‪US intel shud give him fake intel. When they hear it in real world, they will no for sure!!‬

[riversedge]

91. Trump seems to be very reckless and doesnt grasp the gravity of the things hes dealing with, ..

Now look who is 'reckless"!!




https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69_story.html?utm_term=.a1d84a490d00

......The CIA declined to comment, and the NSA did not respond to requests for comment.

But officials expressed concern about Trump’s handling of sensitive information as well as his grasp of the potential consequences. Exposure of an intelligence stream that has provided critical insight into the Islamic State, they said, could hinder the United States’ and its allies’ ability to detect future threats.

“It is all kind of shocking,” said a former senior U.S. official who is close to current administration officials. “Trump seems to be very reckless and doesn’t grasp the gravity of the things he’s dealing with, especially when it comes to intelligence and national security. And it’s all clouded because of this problem he has with Russia.”..................

[askyagerz]

92. How can one man dig himself in a hole so deep?

Put that guy on the ditch digging crew when he gets to prison...

[Goodheart]

93. I had my doubts previously, but this really seals it for me.

Putin has that conjectured "golden showers" tape and is using it to blackmail Orange Scumbucket.

[tenorly]

99. Putin probably showed Cheeto a copy on his own phone

It's reminiscent of the time Kennedy called Edgar Hoover to the Oval Office, in order to fire him.

Hoover, who had been informed of this by some snitch, arrived with a tape of Kennedy engaged in rather loud exertions with Marilyn Monroe.

"You were saying, Mr. President?" the director coyly asked.

"We'll speak again, Mr. Hoovah," Kennedy replied. They never did.

[obamanut2012]

125. Why are you calling J. Edgar Hoover "Mary"?

He was a cis man and identified as such.

[tenorly]

127. Because...

that's what he liked to be called - especially by his tricks.

Look, I hear you. But let's not be too PC about this fat bastard - or his sidekick Roy Cohn. Hoover, after all, constantly used the homo/bisexuality of public figures as a means of extortion.

And remember: this was the 1950s, when such a disclosure effectively meant social - sometimes physical - death for the man or woman being outed.

[obamanut2012]

135. Not being transphobic isn't being "PC"

It doesn't matter who the target of the words are.

You are being very offensive, and if you actually "heard me," you would agree and edit your post.

Shameful to see this on DU.

[tenorly]

157. Done.

You're right.

[Mme. Defarge]

96. WE. CANNOT. GO. ON. LIKE. THIS.

[Leghorn21]

115. NOT. FOR. ANOTHER. FUCKING. SECOND.

And yet - here we are.

All's I "know" HA HA is things I've read by various twitter sleuthers, and they have warned again and again that this THING is so much bigger than I/we can imagine, and that it's going to be really rough going here for a while...

Okay, copy that, because because - yeah, dis bad.

"They" DO say all will be well in the end, so I will hang on to that hope with the bitty tip of my left pinky finger, along with the aid of my DU peeps and try to keep breathing...

[riversedge]

181. Congress has not gotten that message--a few Repugs have meekly spoke out but

only a few.

[nolabear]

98. Call for the tapes!

If he tapes everything as he's suggested then this is the perfect tie to demand to see every tape he's got.

My GOD he's a dangerous buffoon. I can't imagine what wheels are spinning in the world as a result of his bumbling.

[rdking647]

100. Message deleted by DU the Administrators

[Hekate]

188. A military coup (as "the military should" implies) would be the end of this country...

The idea comes up here from time to time, and I understand the desperation from which it springs.

However, if we are to maintain any hope at all of having a Constitutional federal government, the only way is to use the methods embodied in the Constitution itself. Those are impeachment, which is a political act and requires a majority vote of the Congress -- which, as Nancy Pelosi knows full well we do not yet have. And Article 25, which requires the personal assessment of the Cabinet (not a doctor, though they might take that under advisement) that the president is unfit for duty.

If we vote enough of the sonsabitches out next year we can swing Congress and then we'll have enough votes for impeachment.

But my incredibly conservative BIL, who saw Trump for what he is long before November, thinks it wll be one of Trump's enraged deplorables. But then we have another mess entirely.

[UltravioletDingo]

102. This man is not very bright

But we already knew that.

[lanlady]

114. Don't pack your bags just yet, Melania.

All the spin in Spiceytown won't get Trump out of this one. This could spell the end of the Trump presidency before long. No one trusts him and there is every reason for our allies not to share information with this mentally unstable con artist, this pathetic afterbirth of a compromised election. Before he does any more damage to our nation, the GOP needs to stop defending him and move immediately to impeach or convince him to resign. This shitshow can't continue. Run him and his kleptomaniac kin out of town NOW.

[Thekaspervote]

104. How do they know he leaked sensitive info?

Is he really so stupid to think that there are not US agents as well as foreign agents that have the ability to then see what happens to their shared info?!! I would not venture to guess just how, double agents, moles, tagged info? Who knows.. but for sure our allies now know and pray God they don't share any more of it with that fool!

[Hekate]

190. Red Don isn't stupid, but he does have a personality disorder that requires constant boasting...

...self-praise, and the adulation of others. Malignant narcissism, sociopathy, you name it, and many have. He is incredibly skilled at manipulating others. Never understimate that skill.

However, I'm not the only one who thinks he is showing signs of dementia. The filters are off.

In addition, he has more than met his match. Putin is genius at what he does, absolutely ruthless, and evil. Follow the money, sure -- he's probably the richest man in the world. Also, follow the bodies.

As to "how we know" -- I'm sure all the people in the spy trade by now have a pretty good idea. As one after another of their contacts goes dark ... Follow the bodies.

[ffr]

106. He's going to get our people killed.

Holy fuck! The GOP must be stopped at all costs! This has gone on too long. Lives are at risk and this buffoon and his accomplices are just reckless!

[Dorn]

107. I'll bet, but you'd have to check with DT, being president is harder than being a TV actor

[Dopers_Greed]

108. This is it, folks

The Manchurian Manchild is going down

[.99center]

110. It was a mistake, this is just Trump being Trump...

Did I really just here that excuse on MSNBC? Kislyak, a known spy recruiter came here to gather information from his compromised asset, who could've known?

[Marcuse]

117. This could get suspected Israeli spies within ISIS killed.

Gruesomely.

[StevieM]

120. Shouldn't we all be floored right now? And yet how many of us are not that surprised? (eom)

[Amaryllis]

123. Was this leaked? How did it get out that he did this?

[Demtexan]

126. He must owe Uncle Putin a lot of money.

We now know what that russian visit was about.

[Martin Eden]

129. **LOCK HIM UP**

How is this intentional giving away of highly classified national security information not orders of magnitude worse than what was NOT hacked from Hillary's private email server?

[Solly Mack]

131. That man has a twisted ego and a big mouth. That he blabs about things he shouldn't is

not exactly a surprise to anyone, I hope.

That he favored Russia, hoping to impress Putin, with this information isn't a surprise either.


What would be surprising? The GOP congress actually doing anything about it.

[vkkv]

132. TRUMP STUPID F'ING A-HOLE TRAITOR !!!

If I could only make that read LOUDER.


LOCK HIM UP NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tblue37]

164. You can. Just put in square brackets in the message box the following HTML code:

font size = "+1"

or "+2"

or "+3"

You can also give it a bright color, to make it louder, too, with this html tag in square brackets:

font color = "red"

After the words, be sure to put /font in square brackets for each font change.

Then you can scream loudly at Cheato [font size = "+3" ][font color = "red"]LIKE THIS!![/font][/font]

[vkkv]

183. Testing ( Edit - It WORKS - Thanks!)

[font size = "+5"]
[font color = "red"]

LOCK HIM UP NOW !!![/font]
[font size = +0"]

[tblue37]

186. BTW, not all colors have a word name that can be used in an html tag.

For those that don't you just use the hexadecimal code instead of the couple's name. This site provides the codes for various colors:

http://html-color-codes.com

[vkkv]

187. Awesome!

[font size = "+4"]
[font color = "339 9CC"]
THANK YOU !!
[font size = "+0"]

[bucolic_frolic]

133. Worse than Inspector Clouseau

[alfredo]

134. Now we know why he didn't allow American media in the room.

[SunSeeker]

138. They just trotted out McMaster to deny something the story did not say.

And of course he refused to take any questions. What a fucking joke. No one in that administration has a shred of integrity left. Not a single one.

[L. Coyote]

140. Trump Twitter Deja WooWoo that isn't aging well today.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[bluestarone]

142. IF this was Hillary

REPUBS would be holding an ALLNIGHTER IN CONGRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to get her

[mtngirl47]

143. "Can we have a crisis-free day? That's all I'm asking."

quote from Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, 5/15/17

[tblue37]

165. Sure, Susie-Q. Just get your R colleagues in the House & Senate together and impeach him. nt

[iluvtennis]

144. Congress, open up hearing into the illegal use of classified info. Lock him up.

[.99center]

145. Trump intentionally gave classified information to a Russian spy handler

Who visited the Oval Office for unexplained reasons? Unbelievable that he shared classified information about terrorism with a country that is supporting the Taliban and Assad! How close to treason can Trump get before he's impeached?

[dalton99a]

156. +1

[jazzcat23]

171. My question exactly!

Surely we have enough to put him in prison for treason by now!

[DK504]

146. Will we get an independent prosecutor yet?

“If true, this is a slap in the face to the intel community. Risking sources & methods is inexcusable, particularly with the Russians.”

"If true" ..... he is a traitor and every American in that room has committed treason.

[riversedge]

147. Interesting choice of words from NYTimes--" Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence.."..

I can see his boasting. He does it all the time. Except here--he is messing with our national security. damn!




https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/05/15/us/politics/trump-russia-classified-information-isis.html?referer=https://t.co/pFQPqzZyQ0



WASHINGTON — President Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence in a meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week, providing details that could expose the source of the information and the manner in which it was collected, a current and a former American government official said Monday.

The intelligence disclosed by Mr. Trump in a meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States, was about an Islamic State plot, according to the officials. A foreign ally that closely guards its own secrets provided the information, which was considered so sensitive that American officials did not share it widely within the United States government or pass it on to other allies.

Mr. Trump’s disclosure does not appear to have been illegal — the president has the power to declassify almost anything. But sharing the information without the express permission of the ally who provided it represented a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a crucial intelligence-sharing relationship.

The ally has repeatedly warned American officials that it would cut off access to such sensitive information if it were shared too widely, said the former official. In this case, the fear is that Russia will be able to determine exactly how the information was collected and could disrupt the ally’s espionage efforts................................

[L. Coyote]

151. Breitbarf has their own reality to prop up:

[dalton99a]

155. People have been executed and imprisoned for giving America's secrets to Russia

[tblue37]

158. Next thing you know, he'll be outing undercover CIA operatives! Oh, wait--

Last edited Mon May 15, 2017, 10:42 PM - Edit history (1)

GOP administrations have been there, done that.

Tell me again why the IC is so heavily biased in favor of the Republican Party.

[47of74]

159. Attention Anyone Complaining About Mrs. Clinton's Emails.

Fuck you.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Kablooie]

176. But ... Benghazi?

[AgadorSparticus]

162. Wow. This is too much to digest.

[truthisfreedom]

170. Alzheimer's.

Plain and simple. We gotta face it. He's brain-dead.

[Hekate]

191. Yeah, the filters are off his already-existing personality disorders. nt

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

173. I can't believe the NY Times would write this:

Mr. Trump’s disclosure does not appear to have been illegal — the president has the power to declassify almost anything.
I'm sure there must be a process to classify and declassify. The sentence makes it sound like he just decided on a whim to reveal whatever it was. It's doesn't work like that does it?

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

174. But,

Hillary's emails!!!!

[Kablooie]

175. I say it's about time we start sharing with Russia.

We've been hoarding all this intel to ourselves and not sharing any of it with the Russians. They would like some nice intel as much as we do and they might share some of their excellent intel with us.

It was very kind of Trump to do this and I think very highly of him as a result.


-----
They're coming to take me away hee hee ha ha.

[nitpicker]

177. Update from BBC

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39931012

(snip)
What actually happened?

In a conversation with the Russian foreign minister and Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak in the Oval Office, the president revealed details that could lead to the exposure of a source of information, officials told the Washington Post and the New York Times.

The discussion was about an IS plot. The president reportedly went "off-script", revealing specifics of the plot, thought to centre on the use of laptop computers on aircraft, and the city from which that threat had been detected.
(snip)

[nitpicker]

178. More from The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/may/15/donald-trump-russia-classified-information-impact-allies

Donald Trump’s Oval Office boasting to the Russians, if confirmed, could wreak its deepest and most enduring damage on vital intelligence-sharing by US allies.
(snip)

In the world of intelligence-sharing among nations, however, any semblance of doubt can be corrosive and irrevocable. Even before this latest indiscretion, there had been rumblings of concern from the CIA’s partner agencies abroad, uneasy about the Trump campaign’s seemingly cosy relation with Moscow, reports of possible collusion in the 2016 election campaign, and Trump’s own disdain for the US intelligence community. He frequently appeared to give more credence to conspiracy sites and the Kremlin that the intelligence briefings he received before taking office.
(snip)

In the days before Trump’s inauguration, Israeli intelligence officials were reportedly getting nervous that what they shared with the new administration could end being leaked to Russia and then Tehran, after officials from the outgoing White House warned them the Kremlin had “leverage” over Trump. The intelligence agency whose secrets Trump allegedly shared with Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak, appeared likely to be from the Middle East, adding further complications to the president’s ambitious plan to tour the world, starting later this week with meetings in Saudi Arabia with allies in the fight against Islamic State.

The extent to which US allies share the crown jewels of the intelligence networks is carefully calibrated. It is a currency in bilateral relations and a measure of the health of ties between nations. The closest relationship of all is Five Eyes, the club of English-speaking countries who pool the bulk of their intelligence: the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Membership was regarded as a status symbol by those allied agencies, but the downside of sharing the most intimate details became apparent when the internal workings of the UK signals intelligence agency, GCHQ, ended up in the hands of Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency (NSA) contractor turned whistleblower.
(snip)

“The intelligence community – in the United States and in the other Five Eyes –must now reckon with the Trump risk,” said Thomas Wright, the director of the centre on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. “The man who has the right to ask for and see all US intelligence cannot be trusted not to blurt it to whoever it is he wants to impress on any given day. They will take all necessary actions to protect their sources and methods, even if that detrimentally impacts intelligence cooperation.”
(snip)

[onetexan]

179. well here are the requisite after-the-fact defensive tweets

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-washington-post-report_us_591a393be4b05dd15f0aa0e6?b8&ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

"As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining...."

"...to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.
6:13 AM - 16 May 2017"

As many have suspected since he took office, give him enough rope & the orange idiot will hang himself. I'm just hoping this will force him out for good.

[librechik]

185. "who cares? It's not like I know anything about loyalty--not MY intelligence, so..."

words fail me--but we all know he would never have done it if he weren't a secret Democrat! Yeah, all Obama's fault!

I don't care. If they need the notion he's a Dem before they will act, go for it.

[yuiyoshida]

189. AND YET, NOTHING will happen to him

The Republicans will fail to get off their asses, to do anything against this President, after all he is doing their bidding.