On Tuesday morning, President Trump retweeted a Fox News story involving classified security information provided to a reporter by anonymous U.S. officials.
The report, headlined “US spy satellites detect North Korea moving anti-ship cruise missiles to patrol boat,” cites “U.S. officials with knowledge of the latest intelligence in the region” who said “U.S. spy agencies detected the rogue communist regime loading two anti-ship cruise missiles on a patrol boat on the country’s east coast just days ago.”
Hours earlier, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade tweeted a poll asking if members of the media should be prosecuted for publishing classified information.
Should Members Of The Media Be Prosecuted For Publishing Leaked Information?
— Brian Kilmeade (@kilmeade) August 7, 2017
55 percent of Kilmeade’s followers answered “Yes.”
Hours later, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley appeared on Kilmeade’s show and co-host Steve Doocy asked Haley about the story about North Korean missiles on “the frontpage of FoxNews.com.”
Haley said she couldn’t respond because she “can’t talk about anything that’s classified.”
Trump shared the Fox News story featuring classified info after falsely accusing former FBI Director James Comey of engaging in the same sort of behavior:
Despite so many false statements and lies, total and complete vindication…and WOW, Comey is a leaker!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2017
The real story that Congress, the FBI and all others should be looking into is the leaking of Classified information. Must find leaker now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2017
Trump’s retweet also comes on the heels of him publicly criticizing his hand-picked attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for not being tough enough on leakers.
“I want the attorney general to be much tougher on the leaks from intelligence agencies,” Trump said late last month. “These are intelligence agencies. We cannot have that happen.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017
Trump spent a good chunk of his Tuesday morning watching Fox & Friends. He retweeted three separate stories shared by the show’s Twitter account over a period of time lasting more than an hour.
In May, Trump shared highly classified counterterrorism intelligence with Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during an Oval Office meeting. Word of Trump’s carelessness was leaked to the Washington Post by “current and former U.S. officials,” and the White House didn’t deny that the leak was accurate.
As Trump’s recklessness was widely criticized, he took to Twitter to defend himself.
As President I wanted to share with Russia (at an openly scheduled W.H. meeting) which I have the absolute right to do, facts pertaining….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017
…to terrorism and airline flight safety. Humanitarian reasons, plus I want Russia to greatly step up their fight against ISIS & terrorism.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017
In his very next tweet, Trump was back to blasting Comey — who he had fired one week earlier — for not being tough enough on leakers.
I have been asking Director Comey & others, from the beginning of my administration, to find the LEAKERS in the intelligence community…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 16, 2017