Fake News Story 3
The final Washington Post “bombshell” story, which provoked the paper to erupt in celebration, surrounded his sharing of “highly sensitive classified information” with the Russians, endangering sources, methods and angering the source nation that gathered the intelligence.
Well, that nation turned out to be Israel and The Washington Post turned out to be the one who exposed that information. Several officials told PPD–and other outlets have confirmed–that President Trump wasn’t even aware of the source nation at the time.
But again, the predicate of the entire story was false and meant to gin up outrage for something that is common practice. Further, Israel has an intelligence-sharing relationship with Russia, which was sadly cultivated during the Obama years when our closest ally in the Middle East felt abandoned.
National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, Deputy National Security Advisor Dina Powell and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson–the only three U.S. officials in the room–all said the premise of the story as it was written was completely false.
Worth noting, The Washington Post cited anonymous past and current intelligence officials as sources of the reporting, which translates into former Obama administration officials. People’s Pundit Daily has confirmed that the Post did not reach out to anyone who was actually in the room before deciding to run the story.
“The story that came out tonight as reported, is false,” Mr. McMaster said in response. “At no time were intelligence sources or methods disclosed. The on-the-record accounts of those in the room should outweigh anonymous sources. And I was in the room. It didn’t happen.”
“This story is false,” Powell added. “The President only discussed common threats that the countries face.”
If it had happened as The Washington Post claimed, the intelligence community would be required by law to notify members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. If and when a leak of serious nature is revealed, they are legally bound to do so. PPD also confirmed that those committees were not notified, though reports indicate someone on Team McMaster told the intelligence community about the conversation.
Still, 1) that doesn’t prove anything other than what President Trump has been saying all along about illegal leakers being out-of-control and 2) these kinds of disclosures happen all the time. The fact they didn’t end up at the intelligence committees in Congress suggests the IC consensus did not believe any breach had occurred.
