Tiny Red HandsBack

McMaster publicly defends Trump's disclosure of intelligence to Russian officials

Date
2017-05-16
Entry type
national-security-response
Current status
Contemporaneous White House defense; underlying disclosure remained disputed in scope

The sitting national security adviser said the exchange was wholly appropriate and denied sources or methods were exposed, while reports described highly classified information.

Entities and roles

Relationships in this file

  1. Donald J. Trumpnational security adviserH. R. McMaster

Claims and evidence

  1. factreported

    After reports that Trump disclosed highly classified threat intelligence in an Oval Office meeting with Russian officials, McMaster said the discussion was wholly appropriate and that Trump did not reveal intelligence sources, methods, or military operations. Other reporting said the information's specificity risked an allied source. The public evidence leaves McMaster's official defense and the reported risk unresolved because the underlying intelligence remains classified.