Trump Claims ‘Absolute Right’ to Disclose Information to Russia
- McMaster disputes thrust of report without challenging facts
- President says he has ‘absolute right’ to share intelligence
Questions Linger as Trump Claims Right to Reveal Secrets
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White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster sought for the second day to contain the damage from a report that President Donald Trump revealed sensitive and highly classified intelligence to two senior Russian officials, saying Trump’s disclosure was “wholly appropriate.”
McMaster on Tuesday called the premise of a Washington Post report on last week’s Oval Office conversation with Russia’s foreign minister and ambassador “false,” but he didn’t dispute the central facts. He said that the president’s spontaneous disclosure to the Russian officials was appropriate for a discussion about Islamic State threats and for what the administration was trying to achieve.