Trump Discussed Classified National Security on North Korea Missile Launch While Among Mar-a-Lago Diners
‘Waiters Cleared the Wedge Salads and Brought Along the Main Course as Trump and Abe Continued Consulting With Aides’
Saturday evening, after playing golf with Prime Minister ShinzÅ Abe of Japan, President Donald Trump received a call on his cell phone telling him that North Korea had just launched a ballistic missile. The problem: the two heads of government were sitting down to dinner at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago restaurant, “in the middle of the private club’s dining area,” as CNN reports.
Rather tha excuse himself and move to a secure and private location, Trump and Abe discussed the possible threat to their nations’ security and developed together a plan to respond as “Mar-a-Lago’s wealthy members looked on from their tables, and with a keyboard player crooning in the background.”
The “decision-making” of Trump’s “first emergency foreign policy” was “on full view to fellow diners, who described it in detail to CNN.”
Trump and Abe were not alone.
As soon as the news came, “Trump’s National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and chief strategist Steve Bannon left their seats to huddle closer to Trump as documents were produced and phone calls were placed to officials in Washington and Tokyo.”
Trump and Abe were not just within earshot of diners.
“Waiters cleared the wedge salads and brought along the main course as Trump and Abe continued consulting with aides.”
This is a perfect photo. So of course the original is on the iPhone of a random Mar-a-Lago person with access to the president. pic.twitter.com/bA1miZvyN4
— Jon Lovett (@jonlovett) February 13, 2017
During the presidential election race, Donald Trump labeled Hillary Clinton “crooked Hillary” and claimed not only should she be in jail for her handling of State Dept. emails, but that he himself would put her there. Yet now President Trump is discussing classified national security issues literally in the middle of a restaurant whose only barrier to the general public is the newly-doubled $200,000 initiation fee.
The Obama way vs. the Trump way of handling an international crisis. No judgment, just facts. pic.twitter.com/nV5y2UAKPD
— Enrique Acevedo (@Enrique_Acevedo) February 13, 2017
The situation did not go unnoticed by at least one Clinton:
How many of Mar-a-Lago’s new members will be (already are?) members of foreign intelligence agencies & media organizations? https://t.co/8JqJfoWidP
— Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) February 13, 2017
Some responses via Twitter:
Do Mar-a-Lago diners and staff have security clearance to be present during strategy sessions? @SenDonnelly, @SenToddYoung, @SpeakerRyan? https://t.co/bwNUOHwlC0
— Michelle Watson (@MichelleWatson) February 13, 2017
Mar-a-Lago members were actually able to describe to CNN, in detail, how our President’s nat’l security team responded to a nuclear crisis.
— Elliott Lusztig (@ezlusztig) February 13, 2017
Collecting intelligence on the US president is now as simple as paying off a Mar-a-Lago waiter.
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) February 13, 2017
The GOP yelled about email security for years. There are currently waiters at Mar-a-Lago who know more about N. Korea than the Joint Chiefs.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) February 13, 2017
Camp David exists precisely because Mar a Lago shouldn’t.
— Thers (@Thers) February 12, 2017
If you are Russia or China, why bother to bribe a spy? Cheaper and easier to pay the Mar-a-Lago fees! https://t.co/KGxDah1vA2
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) February 13, 2017
You know what’s more dangerous than sending emails on a private server? HASHING OUT NORTH KOREA STRATEGY IN FRONT OF RANDOS IN A RESTAURANT. https://t.co/h8mL7U81Tz
— Molly Knight (@molly_knight) February 13, 2017
The dining room at Mar-A-Lago is the new White House situation room, and if you can pay the fee, you’re invited. https://t.co/4ecG4TytBp pic.twitter.com/wPn7JJq90j
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) February 12, 2017
Trump conducted high-level talks about a N. Korean missile test in a Mar-a-Lago dining room full of members but Hillary had an email server.
— Jesse Berney (@jesseberney) February 13, 2017
(*ahem*)
“Donald Trump will hire foreign workers at low hourly rates for his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach …”https://t.co/W5PoM0b57o pic.twitter.com/WCvAeqGkao
— Greg Greene (@ggreeneva) February 13, 2017
This is not how you make America Safe Again. Not even close. https://t.co/rpdI6a7G5H
— Shannon (@sch1star) February 13, 2017
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Image via Enrique Acevedo/Twitter
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