Trump Revealed Classified Information to Russian Foreign Minister - WashPo

[WoWGoneBad]

Thats exactly the point. As soon as the shared it with the Russians, they would've been obliged to enclose this to the ally that produced the information in the first place, before the Russians can use the source of the ally for their own. In this case, the WaPo reporting about it wouldn't change anything. The only situation it does change something is if the administration didn't inform the ally that they shared this information, which would be even worse.

Look at who is in Office..... Do you really think he shared with OUR own intelligence that he was gonna give this info to the Russians?? Did the Ally who gave us this information have a clue that the Idiot in office would be so free willing to give this information to a foreign adversary?

[Skroe]

IMO instead of say what he did say in defense of the indefensible he should have said something like this -

"As an a appointee of the Trump administration I owe a duty to the president, therefore I will not make any statements that impugn the integrity of the President. However to protect my own integrity and honor I cannot and will not make any statements in defense of what was said, and that would portray these allegations as untrue. That is all".

Of course Trump would fire him almost immediately afterward, but what is the price of a mans soul?

Indeed. However I think we have to keep an eye on how Mattis and McMaster can protect institutions. Presidents have a right to shape institutions. That's democracy. Staggered dates on turn over and customs typically moderate that. But we see it with every President. Who Obama chose as his Joint Chief's, reflected his Presidential priorities. Obama's forced retirement of Mattis reflected his priorities. Bush/Rumsfeld basically firing Eric Shinseki, and then going with one group of generals over the Patraeus faction in the Iraq War reflected their priorities.

It took over a decade for Vlamdir Putin to turn the Russian military from being loyal to the state to being an organ of his United Russia Party. The Chinese People's Liberation Army has ALWAYS been the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (they are, emphatically, not loyal to the State of China and the Chinese Constitution, but to the Party). It would take longer than Trump's term to politically corrupt the US Military, but undoing any corruption, beyond the modest form of "priority shaping" all president's do, could take far longer. The US military tradition of political independence was one of the first in the modern world and emerged from the Civil War. And it's been a tradition that's directly shaped the military's planet wide as US power and influence grew over the 20th century. This is why, for example, the Chinese Government strictly limits US-Chinese Military to Military contact - they don't want US Military beliefs about political independence to rub off.

The Military as an institutions had grave concerns about it's future pre-Trump, for a host of reasons we've discussed at length in the forums. Those concerns have only become magnified post-Trump. From that perspective, McMaster and Tillerson are perfect choices to protect the institutions. But serving two masters wont be something that lasts forever.

[HeyGuysHello]

It is not illegal, but it might be idiotic and still traitorous to do so. Say an intelligence source gets killed because Trump is careless, and we lose access to other intelligence that this ally is providing us with. Just because it's not illegal doesn't mean we shouldn't care.

That is certainly the case. That's if somehow the intelligence source is found and harmed. The biggest non-anonymous claims say no intelligence sources or methods were ever discussed at any time. It doesn't say intelligence wasn't given, but the only claims that intelligence was given is by God knows who. So even if it was given, you're going to have to pay analysts round the clock to find the source, and that's if the intelligence didn't already spread like wildfire among executives beforehand, or if the intelligence given is even worth investigating for the source. Those are all big IFs and uncertainties.

[Skroe]

Please continue to sit on your hands GOP, I dare you. Let's wait until the next election, because this is okay.

Holy shit.

[TZucchini]

Please continue to sit on your hands GOP, I dare you. Let's wait until the next election, because this is okay.

At this point, Trump needs to Travel Ban himself. Because what he did has a much greater potential to result in American deaths than do brown people immigrating from other countries.

[WoWGoneBad]

It is not illegal, but it might be idiotic and still traitorous to do so. Say an intelligence source gets killed because Trump is careless, and we lose access to other intelligence that this ally is providing us with. Just because it's not illegal doesn't mean we shouldn't care.

This is my biggest problem with this leak. 'if' this should get back to ISIS and the ally be dealt with or need to be extracted, think of all the future intelligence we just lost with the move this bonehead cockholster d**k waving this Idoit on office just pulled.

[NYC17]

It is his absolute right to declassify terrorist information if that's actually what happened. His executive position comes with that power thanks to the POTUS before him. Are you guys also this hard of hearing in real life?

Seriously? Talk about not being able to read. I was pretty clear.

While it may be within his right, his defensive assertion that it even is his right reinforces the fact that he did, in fact, share highly classified information with an enemy. It's just an enemy he personally likes.

So basically, once again, if your defense is "he didn't share anything", then his own words shatter that idea. If you wish to move on to "it's his right to though", then please signal when you'll be moving the goal posts from this point forward. You don't make a compelling enough argument for me to try and keep up with your shifting gears so often.

[melodramocracy]

Odds of donny having actually known he's allowed to declassify information at his own leisure prior to doing so? Anyone?

[Skroe]

At this point, Trump needs to Travel Ban himself. Because what he did has a much greater potential to result in American deaths than do brown people immigrating from other countries.

The best part is, he is about to go to Europe to face these people as part of his first foreign trip.

[Deleted]

I think that the real fear for them is to be Primaried.

The GOP invited him in and consciously made Trump their Chosen One. It is on them to stop this Chow Chow from pissing everyhwere. The longer they eait, the worse it's going to get for them.

[Skroe]

Odds of donny having actually known he's allowed to declassify information at his own leisure prior to doing so? Anyone?

Zero Percent. He was talking out of his ass and running his mouth because he's an imbecile.

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I think Trump is a terrible President, but this tweet says basically nothing.

Of course Europeans would stop sharing intel with the US if Trump just passed it on to the Russians. The question is, did the classified information he shared (because he's admitted that he did) violate an agreement with an ally and/or compromise a source?

It directly violated the agreement made with the providing country that the US not share it without their permission.

Up to that point, the US hadn't even told it's closest allies, in accordance with the provider's wishes. Then Trump ran his mouth...

[Thepersona]

Remember fellas it's tuesday. We still have almost 4 days of effective news, and this shit could not be the worse thing that comes out of donnie's presidency

[Stormspark]

Zero Percent. He was talking out of his ass and running his mouth because he's an imbecile.

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It directly violated the agreement made with the providing country that the US not share it without their permission.

Up to that point, the US hadn't even told it's closest allies, in accordance with the provider's wishes. Then Trump ran his mouth...

This could conceivably be a treaty violation too.

[WoWGoneBad]

That is certainly the case. That's if somehow the intelligence source is found and harmed. The biggest non-anonymous claims say no intelligence sources or methods were ever discussed at any time. It doesn't say intelligence wasn't given, but the only claims that intelligence was given is by God knows who. So even if it was given, you're going to have to pay analysts round the clock to find the source, and that's if the intelligence didn't already spread like wildfire among executives beforehand, or if the intelligence given is even worth investigating for the source. Those are all big IFs and uncertainties.

This logic may be flawed however in the fact that the intelligence given by the Idiot in office was shared only within a small group of people. Not even a majority of our own intelligence community was privy to the information. That kinda narrows down the search field a bit. And if news reports are true( yeah right) then the intelligence that was gathered by the ally was already made public via news outlets and the anonymous source in the WH. So that narrows the search field even more.

[HeyGuysHello]

Seriously? Talk about not being able to read. I was pretty clear.

While it may be within his right, his defensive assertion that it even is his right reinforces the fact that he did, in fact, share highly classified information with an enemy. It's just an enemy he personally likes.

So basically, once again, if your defense is "he didn't share anything", then his own words shatter that idea. If you wish to move on to "it's his right to though", then please signal when you'll be moving the goal posts from this point forward. You don't make a compelling enough argument for me to try and keep up with your shifting gears so often.

"enemy"
The Cold War is over. Non-Ally =/= Enemy

The gears shift because his own words just say he has a right to talk about terrorism and civil airlines. I, too, can talk about terrorism and civil airlines with someone in Russia right now. Nobody in his cabinet, not even his tweets, say he provided classified intelligence. That's called "reading into things" and usually ends with egg all over someone's face. Your proof is thin to non-existant.

[Teebone]

Well, Donnie. You won me over. I no longer believe you are a Russian plant. Nope. Uncle Puty could pick someone so much better than your stupid fucking ass.

[Bullettime]

So Trump is now contradicting his officials again and not denying it on Twitter. He's defending his actions. God damnit.

[Deleted]

Of course Europeans would stop sharing intel with the US if Trump just passed it on to the Russians. The question is, did the classified information he shared (because he's admitted that he did) violate an agreement with an ally and/or compromise a source?

When intel peeps say "Oh my God wtf has Trump done"
When McMasters holds a 45 second interview because "Oh My God wtf has Trump done"
When the GOP doesn't want to say anything about it, because "Oh my God wtf has Trump done"
When AP is reporting that a European country/all of Europe doesn't want to share intel with the US, because "Oh my God wtf has Trump done".

Then no, all is cool and I don't think anything was compromised.

[NYC17]

"enemy"
The Cold War is over. Non-Ally =/= Enemy

The gears shift because his own words just say he has a right to talk about terrorism and civil airlines. I, too, can talk about terrorism and civil airlines with someone in Russia right now. Nobody in his cabinet, not even his tweets, say he provided classified intelligence. That's called "reading into things" and usually ends with egg all over someone's face. Your proof is thin to non-existant.

Russia is our enemy. They made that pretty clear with their meddling in our last election. It's not even a debate, nor is it open to interpretation.

The difference between you and Trump talking about things, is that Trump reveals highly classified information. You, as demonstrated by your posting here, don't know anything about this subject.

[WoWGoneBad]

I think Trump is a terrible President, but this tweet says basically nothing.

Of course Europeans would stop sharing intel with the US if Trump just passed it on to the Russians. The question is, did the classified information he shared (because he's admitted that he did) violate an agreement with an ally and/or compromise a source?

The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said that Trump’s decision to do so risks cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and National Security Agency.

The information Trump relayed 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, officials said.

So yeah they have a very VALID reason for not wanting to continue information sharing.