Trump Defends “Absolute Right” to Share Information With Russian Officials

Ticker

Monika Bauerlein,
CEO

Dear Reader,

The next few months are make-or-break for Mother Jones’ fundraising, and we need more online readers to pitch in than have been of late. In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we take a level-headed look at the brutal economics of journalism, why investigative reporting like you get from us matters, and why we're optimistic we can grow our base of support in a big way—starting with hitting a huge $300,000 goal in just three weeks. Please learn more and donate if you can right now.

The next few months are make-or-break for Mother Jones’ fundraising. We need to raise $300,000 quickly, and we need more online readers to pitch in than have been. Please learn more in "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," where we go into the brutal economics of journalism, and what makes Mother Jones unique and worth supporting if you can right now.

Shcherbak Alexander/TASS/ZUMA

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

Following a Washington Post report that President Donald Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian diplomats last week, Trump on Tuesday justified his “absolute right” to share information with Russian officials for “humanitarian” causes. In a pair of tweets, Trump appeared to confirm at least some elements of the explosive allegations.

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….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017

…to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017

Trump’s defense is a reversal of the administration’s initial denial: When the report was published on Monday, national security adviser H.R. McMaster refuted it as “false” and denied the president discussed “intelligence sources or methods” with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister. However, the Washington Post story never alleged exactly that. The report, which was later backed by independent reporting from the New York Times and BuzzFeed, cited several government sources claiming Trump revealed highly sensitive information that could potentially jeopardize an important intelligence-sharing partner.

On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry also denied that Trump had disclosed sensitive material during the Oval Office meeting, which was closed to American media but photographed by the Russian press.