White House press secretary denies Trump was briefed on Russia bounties even though he's 'the most informed person on planet Earth'

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Trump simultaneously knows everything and nothing.

That's the case White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany made Tuesday during a press conference where she was confronted on reports that Russia placed bounties on American soldiers and Trump knew about it. While McEnany maintained Trump didn't know about the bounties months ago, she did declare Trump is also "the most informed person on planet Earth when it comes to the threats that we face."

The New York Times has reported that Trump was issued a briefing regarding Russia reportedly paying bounties to Taliban fighters who killed U.S. troops, but the White House denied Trump knew anything about it. That prompted a reporter to ask why Trump wasn't reading his daily briefing, to which McEnany confirmed "the president does read and he also consumes intelligence verbally."

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Trump hadn't initially been told about the bounties because that report hadn't been thoroughly verified, McEnany explained. He has since been briefed on the subject.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.