REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
President Donald Trump shared highly classified information with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador during their visit to the White House last week, The Washington Post reported Monday. In conversation with the two Russian officials, Trump reportedly boasted of a foreign intelligence source with access to information on ISIS. Trump reportedly disclosed more information on the source than the U.S. has previously shared with its allies. Current and former U.S. officials told the Post that Trump had disclosed details by which Russians might be able to identify the confidential source, potentially jeopardizing that stream of information. “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day,” Trump reportedly told his Russian visitors. Trump's meeting with Russia's foreign minister and ambassador took place in the Oval Office—infamously without U.S. media present, while a Russian news agency was allowed to photograph the discussions. No record of the highly classified exchange was included in official transcripts released by the White House. Immediately after the meeting, Thomas P. Bossert, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, reportedly called the directors of the CIA and the NSA, who work with the ally that originally shared the information with American officials. Intelligence sources condemned Trump's alleged remarks as "reckless" and "shocking."
U.S. officials also confirmed the Post's reporting to BuzzFeed. “It’s far worse than what has already been reported" an official said, referencing the Post's initial report. A source also told BuzzFeed that the Senate Intelligence Committee had been briefed on Trump's statements to the Russians.