Republican senator: The White House is in a 'downward spiral right now'

Sen. Bob Corker.
(Image credit: Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images)

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is calling The Washington Post's report that President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week "very, very troubling" if true.

"To compromise a source is something you just don't do," Corker said. The Post, citing current and former U.S. officials, says that during a meeting in the Oval Office, Trump "began describing details about an Islamic State terrorist threat" that were given to the U.S. by a partner through a sensitive intelligence-sharing agreement. "The White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control and in order. It's got to happen," added Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "Obviously they're in a downward spiral right now and they've got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that's happening."

Other senators are also weighing in, with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) saying if the Post's report is accurate, "this is a slap in the face to the intel community. Risking sources and methods is inexcusable, particularly with the Russians." Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that while Trump has "the right" to leak classified information, he needs to "be careful," and "we certainly don't want any president" to go around sharing such sensitive matters. During the presidential campaign, Trump tweeted that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, was "not fit" for the presidency because Clinton and her team "were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information."

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.