In recent weeks, a number of high-profile leaks from unnamed sources have come out of the White House, aimed at hurting President Trump and his new administration.
While many of the leaks, which are still serious in nature, were designed to embarrass and humiliate the administration, most of them did not have national security implications, until now.
The Political Insider reported earlier this week that Lieutenant General Michael Flynn was forced to resign from his post as National Security Adviser following revelations that he had failed to properly disclose conversations he had with the Russian Ambassador in December of last year.
Many pundits, including those close to the national security establishment, have claimed that Flynn was more or less taken down by unelected spies and other defense staffers. Even establishment national security writer Eli Lake called it a “political assassination.”
Republican Congressman Devin Nunes, Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, essentially agreed, saying: “There does appear to be a well orchestrated effort to attack Flynn and others in the administration,” he said. “From the leaking of phone calls between the president and foreign leaders to what appears to be high-level FISA Court information, to the leaking of American citizens being denied security clearances, it looks like a pattern.”
President Trump has expressed deep concern about the leaks coming out of this White House that resulted in potentially classified information getting into the hands of journalists:
Information is being illegally given to the failing @nytimes & @washingtonpost by the intelligence community (NSA and FBI?).Just like Russia
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
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
The spotlight has finally been put on the low-life leakers! They will be caught!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2017
Now, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that U.S. spies are withholding intelligence from the elected president. This is shocking, especially if there really was an effort to take down Flynn:
The officials’ decision to keep information from Mr. Trump underscores the deep mistrust that has developed between the intelligence community and the president over his team’s contacts with the Russian government, as well as the enmity he has shown toward U.S. spy agencies. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump accused the agencies of leaking information to undermine him.
In some of these cases of withheld information, officials have decided not to show Mr. Trump the sources and methods that the intelligence agencies use to collect information, the current and former officials said.
However, White House and other intelligence officials denied the allegation:
A White House official said: “There is nothing that leads us to believe that this is an accurate account of what is actually happening.”
A spokesman for the Office of Director of National Intelligence said: “Any suggestion that the U.S. intelligence community is withholding information and not providing the best possible intelligence to the president and his national security team is not true.”
At this point, it is unclear who is behind these damaging leaks, but many think they are coming from permanent bureaucrats and Obama staffers who are deeply opposed to the change President Trump represents. This is very serious and very troubling. Federal employees, at any level, are accountable to our elected representatives. Not the other way around.
The intelligence community should not withhold information from the president and the administration should investigate the source of these leaks and plug the hole as soon as possible.
How concerned are you over the intelligence community withholding information to President Trump over the prevalence of leaks coming out of this White House? Share your thoughts below!