Ex-CIA analyst questions Trump's decision to release photo of failed Iranian satellite launch
Just because you technically can do something, doesn't mean you always should.
President Trump posted a photo of what appeared to be the site of a failed Iranian satellite launch on Twitter on Friday, prompting speculation that he had disclosed U.S. surveillance secrets. Trump cited the specific location of the site shown in the image, clarifying the U.S. was not involved in the accident, while also wishing Tehran "good luck" in its attempts to figure out what went wrong.
When questioned by reporters about the post, the president said he has the "absolute right" to release the photograph, but Patrick Eddington, a former CIA satellite imagery analyst and current research fellow at the CATO Institute, said the photograph appeared to be a classified image and, if so, Trump's tweet "is no doubt welcome news to our adversaries."
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.
Eddington did say that the president does indeed have the authority to declassify any federal document. He felt the need to add, however, that Twitter "is not a legitimate or responsible way to do so."
-
The environmental cost of GLP-1sThe explainer Producing the drugs is a dirty process
-
Greenland’s capital becomes ground zero for the country’s diplomatic straitsIN THE SPOTLIGHT A flurry of new consular activity in Nuuk shows how important Greenland has become to Europeans’ anxiety about American imperialism
-
‘This is something that happens all too often’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
-
El Paso airspace closure tied to FAA-Pentagon standoffSpeed Read The closure in the Texas border city stemmed from disagreements between the Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon officials over drone-related tests
-
Judge blocks Trump suit for Michigan voter rollsSpeed Read A Trump-appointed federal judge rejected the administration’s demand for voters’ personal data
-
US to send 200 troops to Nigeria to train armySpeed Read Trump has accused the West African government of failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks
-
Grand jury rejects charging 6 Democrats for ‘orders’ videoSpeed Read The jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers for a video in which they urged military members to resist illegal orders
-
Judge rejects California’s ICE mask ban, OKs ID lawSpeed Read Federal law enforcement agents can wear masks but must display clear identification
-
Lawmakers say Epstein files implicate 6 more menSpeed Read The Trump department apparently blacked out the names of several people who should have been identified
