Report: Intelligence agencies are keeping sensitive info from Trump
Worried that the information might be compromised or leaked, U.S. intelligence officials have been keeping some sensitive items from President Trump, current and former officials told The Wall Street Journal Wednesday.
In some of the cases, the withholding of intelligence was because officials did not want Trump to know about sources and methods used to collect the information. Previous presidents and members of Congress have not always been told every last detail of a case, the officials told WSJ, but it was always to protect a source and not because intelligence agencies were concerned about the person's trustworthiness or discretion. The officials also said they did not know of any instances where the intelligence agencies withheld from Trump major information on terrorist plots or security threats. It isn't clear if Trump, who already gets significantly shorter daily intelligence briefings by request, has asked for any information on intelligence sources or methodology.
Trump on Wednesday accused the intelligence agencies of leaking information in order to undermine his presidency, and even blamed them and the media for the downfall of Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser who resigned Monday after not giving factual accounts of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. A White House official told WSJ there is "nothing that leads us to believe that this is an accurate account of what is actually happening."
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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
How to financially prepare for divorceThe Explainer Facing ‘irreconcilable differences’ does not have to be financially devastating
-
Why it’s important to shop around for a mortgage and what to look forThe Explainer You can save big by comparing different mortgage offers
-
4 ways to save on rising health care costsThe Explainer Health care expenses are part of an overall increase in the cost of living for Americans
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
