Shared Classified Israeli Intelligence with Russian Officials
The day after firing FBI Director Comey, Trump hosted Russian officials in the Oval Office — closed to U.S. press — and revealed highly classified Israeli intelligence about ISIS, compromising sources and methods.
On May 10, 2017 — the day after firing FBI Director James Comey — Trump hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office. U.S. press was excluded, but a Russian state photographer was allowed in.
During the meeting, Trump revealed highly classified intelligence about a planned ISIS operation. The intelligence had been provided by Israel, and Trump shared enough detail for Russia to deduce the source and intelligence-gathering method — a cardinal sin in intelligence sharing.
Senior officials scrambled to contain the damage:
- Calls were made to the CIA and NSA to assess the breach
- The White House initially denied the report
- Trump then admitted it, defending himself by saying the president has "the absolute right" to share intelligence
- Israel — the ally whose intelligence was compromised — was reportedly furious
Trump also reportedly told the Russians he wasn't concerned about their interference in U.S. elections, calling the FBI's Russia investigation "great pressure" that had been taken off by firing "that nut job" Comey.