Donald Trump has "declared war" on the US intelligence community, accusing officials of handing out classified information "like candy".
In a series of tweets yesterday, the President tried to divert attention from the growing scandal about his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and hit out at "very un-American" intelligence officials giving out confidential information "illegally".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Describing the "Russian connection" as "nonsense", he tweeted several messages attacking intelligence agencies and media outlets.
Trump has "declared war on his intelligence agencies", says the Daily Telegraph, while Time magazine says the leaks reflect uneasiness in the intelligence community about the President.
"All administrations leak and maybe particularly early on," Eliot Cohen, a counsellor at the State Department under George W Bush, told Time. "But what surprises me here is the extent with which you have people leaking against each other. This is unprecedented."
The magazine says the "leaks appear to be just the latest salvo in a long-running back and forth between Trump and the intelligence and diplomatic corps, though it's also possible that some of them came from other political and policy sources, including rivals inside the White House".
The "shaky detente" between Trump and the intelligence agencies broke down last month after he wrongly accused them of leaking the "dodgy Russia dossier", written by a former MI6 operative and containing unverified, salacious claims about his ties with Russia, says The Guardian. In one tweet, Trump likened them to "Nazi Germany", saying they should never have allowed "fake news to 'leak' to the public".
At the time Glenn Carle, a retired CIA officer, told the newspaper the intelligence agencies face an "existential crisis" prompted by the imminent prospect of serving "someone for whom the truth is irrelevant".
-
The Oberoi Beach Resort, Bali: a calm retreat in the heart of SeminyakThe Week Recommends Tradition meets modernity at this serene beachfront resort
-
‘No Other Choice,’ ‘Dead Man’s Wire,’ and ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’Feature A victim of downsizing turns murderous, an angry Indiana man takes a lender hostage, and a portrait of family by way of three awkward gatherings
-
Political cartoons for January 11Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include green energy, a simple plan, and more
-
Maduro’s capture: two hours that shook the worldTalking Point Evoking memories of the US assault on Panama in 1989, the manoeuvre is being described as the fastest regime change in history
-
Trump’s power grab: the start of a new world order?Talking Point Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the US president has shown that arguably power, not ‘international law’, is the ultimate guarantor of security
-
A running list of everything Trump has named or renamed after himselfIn Depth The Kennedy Center is the latest thing to be slapped with Trump’s name
-
A running list of the international figures Donald Trump has pardonedin depth The president has grown bolder in flexing executive clemency powers beyond national borders
-
Trump pulls US from key climate pact, other bodiesSpeed Read The White House removed dozens of organizations from US participation
-
What is the Donroe Doctrine?The Explainer Donald Trump has taken a 19th century US foreign policy and turbocharged it
-
A running list of the US government figures Donald Trump has pardonedin depth Clearing the slate for his favorite elected officials
-
‘Space is one of the few areas of bipartisan agreement in Washington’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
