If, as McMaster, Tillerson and others present at the meeting are saying, the story is fake, that’s outrageous.
*“At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly,” said Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster.
McMaster later told reporters at the White House, “Other senior officials who were present, including the secretary of state, remember the meeting the same way and have said so. Their on-the-record accounts should outweigh those of anonymous sources. I was in the room, it didn’t happen.”
“This story is false. The president only discussed the common threats that both countries faced,” added Dina Powell, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, who also attended the meeting.
…
“During President Trump’s meeting with Foreign Minister Lavrov a broad range of subjects were discussed among which were common efforts and threats regarding counter-terrorism. During that exchange the nature of specific threats were discussed, but they did not discuss sources, methods or military operations,” [Tillerson] said.*
One of the hilarious ironies (if it wasn’t so horrifying) is Trump bragging about intelligence, after he spent the entire campaign making enemies out of the US intelligence apparatus, bad-mouthing them at every opportunity. I wonder if that strained relationship may be behind today’s leak.
Which is the other fascinating bit of conjecture…who was in the room and called up the Post? That has to be a very short list of candidates.
The idea that we should take public statements from your government to be true is a very strange one. Any particular reason we should take such statements seriously?
Very handy to deny something that was NEVER REPORTED.
Tell me… Does it bother you that you are now basically carrying the water for the Russians? That you’re indistinguishable from one of those paid Russian scum-hole media influencers?
I am not sure why I should believe anybody from this administration anymore. I am asking you sincerely: can you give me reasons to believe what they say? Why did Bossert alert the CIA and NSA?
That email server was not secured. It could have resulted in classified information ending up in the hands of adversaries. And we can’t have that. Better to just give it to them.
David Brooks’ column today is priceless. It must be especially painful for this staunch conservative apologist to watch the debacle that the White House has become. The last line is particularly bitter. And true.
Brooks is an old-style reactionary conservative asshole who would have been more comfortable under a Jeb Bush presidency. He has a tongue leathered from licking bungholes, a ten million dollar house, a dumped first wife, and a new trophy 20-some years younger than he is.
He’s just as confused by Trump as we are, and terrified that his shenanigans are going to compromise his comfy lifestyle.
