All the times Trump railed on Twitter about leaks of classified information
President Trump is under fire in the wake of a Washington Post report that he revealed highly classified information during his meeting with Russian officials in the Oval Office last week.
Yet both as a candidate and commander-in-chief, Trump has routinely criticized others for divulging restricted information.
In July, following then-FBI Director James Comey’s conclusion that Hillary Clinton and her State Department staffers “were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information,” Trump branded the Democratic nominee as “unfit” for the presidency.
Crooked Hillary Clinton and her team "were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information." Not fit!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 6, 2016
In October, Trump fumed that Clinton, who at the time was leading him in the polls, nor anyone in her campaign had been charged with a crime.
WikiLeaks proves even the Clinton campaign knew Crooked mishandled classified info, but no one gets charged? RIGGED! https://t.co/FgGxDsS0a1
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 17, 2016
In January, then-President-elect Trump assailed those within the U.S. government for sharing a report detailing alleged Russian hacking of top Democratic officials during the 2016 election, and demanded a congressional investigation.
I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017
Before I, or anyone, saw the classified and/or highly confidential hacking intelligence report, it was leaked out to @NBCNews. So serious!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2017
In February, amid new reports of the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia, the president tweeted that the “real scandal” wasn’t those reported ties but that “classified information” about them was being “given out … like candy.”
The real scandal here is that classified information is illegally given out by "intelligence" like candy. Very un-American!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
A day later, Trump called on the New York Times and other media outlets to apologize for publishing “illegal classified” leaks.
Leaking, and even illegal classified leaking, has been a big problem in Washington for years. Failing @nytimes (and others) must apologize!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2017
Later that month, after reports that Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus had asked the FBI to push back against stories alleging the Trump campaign’s ties to the Kremlin, the president ripped the bureau for failing to stop the leaks.
“Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S.,” Trump tweeted. “FIND NOW.”
The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security "leakers" that have permeated our government for a long time. They can't even……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2017
In early March, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions was forced to recuse himself from the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, Trump tweeted the “real story” was “all of the illegal leaks of classified and other information.” The president also called the focus on his campaign’s ties to Moscow a “witch hunt.”
Jeff Sessions is an honest man. He did not say anything wrong. He could have stated his response more accurately, but it was clearly not….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
…intentional. This whole narrative is a way of saving face for Democrats losing an election that everyone thought they were supposed…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
…to win. The Democrats are overplaying their hand. They lost the election, and now they have lost their grip on reality. The real story…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
…is all of the illegal leaks of classified and other information. It is a total "witch hunt!"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2017
On March 20, Trump lashed out over the ongoing Russia probe, demanding the “leaker” of classified information be found.
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
Last week, hours before former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified before a Senate subcommittee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Trump suggested the panel ask Yates “if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.”
Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Counsel.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 8, 2017
And on Tuesday, after defending his “absolute right” to share intelligence with Russian officials, Trump again raised the issues of “leakers” within the intelligence community.
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
Trump’s not the only one in Washington who has a history of ripping rivals over their handling of U.S. intelligence.
In a lengthy Twitter thread, Comedy Central’s “Daily Show” documented the hypocrisy of Republicans—including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio—who were quick to criticize Clinton but did not immediately do the same to Trump.
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 15, 2017
CNN conservative commentator Ana Navarro argued that had Hillary Clinton divulged classified information as president, Republicans would be “drafting Articles of Impeachment.”
If Hillary Clinton leaked classified info to a Russian spook/diplomat, Republicans would rightly be drafting Articles of Impeachment N-O-W.
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) May 15, 2017
Pic of missing spine of most GOP elected leaders should be on side of milk cartons. Last seen Oct 2016. Abducted by a man wearing red tie.
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) May 16, 2017
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