Russian useful idiot and ignoramus Donald "Rump" Trump was defiant the morning after it was revealed that he gave highly classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian Ambassador (and spy master) Sergey Kislyak in a convivial meeting in the Oval Office. The intelligence was collected by an ally* and was provided under the assumption that it would not be shared. The intelligence was specific enough for the Russians to determine the source and methods used.
Rump tweeted at 7:03 a.m. this morning that he has the "absolute right" to share intelligence with the Russians, purportedly to gain more support from them in fighting ISIS. But yesterday's report in the Washington Post indicates that Rump was "boasting" about U.S. intelligence capabilities to the Russian officials when he divulged the highly sensitive intelligence to them. (His tweeting also undermined -- again -- the narrative his hapless aides tried to construct the evening before.) His revelation will almost certainly have a chilling effect on our intelligence partners around the world, who will see that Rump is reckless with classified information and may put their sources and agents in danger. Said former CIA case officer Bob Baer:
"The President, by revealing this to the Russians, has lost control of this information. It's going to go to the Syrians, It's going to go to the Iranians -- Russian allies. The ability to protect that source whoever he is, wherever he is has been seriously undermined ... If a CIA officer had revealed this information to the Russians, he would be fired instantly."(emphasis added)Fired and prosecuted, more accurately. Rump shared highly classified, "code word" intelligence with a foreign adversary in a casual and cavalier way, and appears to be fine with that. It begs the question of why he is so obsequious toward Russia, and what do they have on him? What Republicans will grow a spine and recognize this as a threat to our security and an act of treason?
BONUS: Read former FBI counterintelligence agent Clint Watts' assessment of Rump's "betrayal of America."
*BONUS II: It's now known that the ally is Israel, and Israeli intelligence sources are saying it confirms their worst fears about sharing intel with Bibi's buddy, the ignorant shitgibbon.
