(AP) – President Donald Trump’s national security adviser says information that president shared with the Russians was “wholly appropriate” and based on “open source reporting.”
The adviser, H.R. McMaster, says Trump’s revelation “in no way” compromised intelligence sources and methods.
McMcaster did not deny that Trump discussed classified information.
Trump said in a tweet earlier Tuesday that he had the authority to share “facts pertaining to terrorism” and airline safety with Russia.
Trump’s tweets did not address whether he revealed classified information about the Islamic State group, as published reports have said and as a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
H.R. McMaster is standing by his statement denying a Washington Post report that President Donald Trump revealed highly classified information to Russian officials.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, McMaster said the “premise of that article is false.” He added Trump did not have a “conversation that was inappropriate or resulted in any kind of lapse in national security.
McMaster said the real threat to national security was leakers “releasing information to the press.”
The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump shared classified information with Russian officials that jeopardized an intelligence source.
McMaster told reporters after the story broke: “I was in the room. It didn’t happen.”
