President Trump slams 'traitor' Chelsea Manning for being 'ungrateful,' trashing Obama

President Donald Trump addresses the staff at the Department of Homeland Security.

(Image credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

last updated 26 January 2017

President Donald Trump launched his seventh day in office by tearing into Chelsea Manning, the former army intelligence analyst convicted of leaking classified military documents and diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks. Former President Obama commuted the sentence of Manning before leaving office:

Trump's tweet was apparently a reaction to an op-ed Manning published in The Guardian on Thursday. "Barack Obama left behind hints of a progressive legacy. Unfortunately, despite his faith in our system and his positive track record on many issues over the last eight years, there have been very few permanent accomplishments," Manning wrote. She added: "The one simple lesson to draw from President Obama's legacy: Do not start off with a compromise. They won't meet you in the middle. Instead, what we need is an unapologetic progressive leader."

Manning has not technically been released from prison, contrary to Trump's tweet. She will be released in May 2017, long before her initial release date of May 2045; she was originally sentenced to 35 years.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.