White House Claims Then Denies Wrong Information in Scramble to Control News Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information

Top Officials’ Denials Do Not Hold Water

The White House is scrambling to contain and control the news that President Donald Trump revealed “code word” highly classified information to Russian officials, including Ambassador Sergei Kislyak and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office last week. Trump revealed classified information that could only have come from a specific source, and revealing that information apparently effectively reveals the source. 

At least three top Trump administration officials in less than two hours have already released statements designed to minimize the damage.

In the Post’s story, H.R. McMaster, Trump’s National Security Adviser said: “At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.”

That’s not what was in the story. 

Reuters, Buzzfeed, and The New York Times have confirmed the Post’s reporting.

Minutes ago McMaster spoke to reporters and called the Washington Post’s report “false.” But then he said, “At no time were intelligence sources or methods discussed.” 

The Washington Post story does not say they did.

MSNBC’s Steve Schmidt just called McMaster’s comments a “smokescreen.”

“This story is false,” Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell said. “The president only discussed the common threats that both countries faced.”

The Washington Post, which broke the story, revealed that Trump “relayed” information that “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.”

Powell’s explanation does not actually negate the Post’s story.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump and the Russians discussed “a broad range of subjects.” Yes, and that’s the problem. Tillerson says “they did not discuss sources, methods, or military operations.”

Tillerson’s statement also fails. 

UPDATE: 7:40 PM EDT –
Obama foreign policy advisor:

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