Trump’s Defense of His Russia Leak Is Not Reassuring

[EasyAce]

This kind of disclosure should be the result of a deliberative process.
By David French
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/447683/trump-shared-classified-information-russians-troubling-h-r-mcmaster-defense-inadequate

Let’s begin with this proposition — there is a proper and defensible mechanism for disclosing classified information, even
to a geopolitical rival. If the president determines that such disclosure advances the national interests of the United States, and if
the president solicits the advice and counsel of the intelligence community and his national-security advisers to minimize the
possibility of revealing sources and methods, betraying the trust of allies, or causing any other damage to national security, then
it can even be prudent and proper to disclose secret information. In other words, disclosure should be the result of a deliberative
process, not a momentary impulse.

Now, let’s contrast this appropriate process with the charges against President Trump and, crucially, with his defense.

The charge is serious. The Washington Post and numerous other media outlets reported that Trump impulsively shared highly
classified information with visiting Russian officials — information that “jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic
State.” According the Post, the information “had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement
considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government.”
The New York Times has identified the partner in question as Israel.

Trump’s disclosure was allegedly dangerous enough to trigger a scramble within the government to “contain the damage” by,
among other measures, “placing calls to the CIA and National Security Agency.” Officials asked the Post not to publish the full
details of the leak. Earlier today, The Resurgent’s Erick Erickson wrote that he knows one of the sources for the media’s stories
and that the reality is even worse than the reports:

I am told that what the President did is actually far worse than what is being reported. The
President does not seem to realize or appreciate that his bragging can undermine relationships
with our allies and with human intelligence sources. He also does not seem to appreciate that
his loose lips can get valuable assets in the field killed.

It doesn’t take a 3,000-word explainer to describe how this allegation is alarming. But let’s note this — Hillary Clinton lost the
presidency in part because her own mishandling of classified information meant that Russia could have had access to American
secrets. According to this report, Trump gave Russia dangerous secrets, impulsively, perhaps as part of an effort to impress his
guests . . .

. . . The original allegations are still hanging out there, and the reporters are standing by their stories. Defenses and denials
are not the same thing as refutations. If the initial charge is true, then the president’s behavior is inexcusable and potentially
deeply damaging. If his defense is true, his behavior is still irresponsible.

Finally, there is a truth of the matter. The allegations are too serious to be left to the realm of charges and countercharges. The
White House should share available records of the conversation with the relevant congressional oversight committees, and those
committees should do their job, examine the evidence, and issue a public report of their findings. The American people should
be troubled by what we know. But until we know all the facts, we don’t yet know how troubled we should be.