Even before Donald Trump was elected president, reports circulated that hinted of potential illegal activity surrounding the former host of "The Apprentice." After less than a month in the White House, a new report suggests that intelligence officials don't trust the president with important information.
Trump trust issues
For a year and a half, President Donald Trump continued to shock the world as he gained momentum and success during the 2016 presidential election. Trump went on to win the Republican primary, and then pulled off one of the biggest political upsets in history by defeating Hillary Clinton last November.
Trump's win came as a major surprise, considering he was the first candidate in recent history to keep his tax returns and financial information from voters, despite constant pressure by the media and his political opponents. The billionaire real estate mogul has been accused of hiding potentially damaging details from the American people, with links to Russia and leader Vladimir Putin being front and center. After it was revealed that Russia was responsible for hacking into the Democratic National Committee with the goal of helping to elect Trump, the president was forced to deal with even more backlash. As reported by The Wall Street Journal on February 15, United States intelligence officials now fear Trump can't be trusted with "sensitive" documents and that they are withholding the information from the White House.
U.S. intelligence has kept sensitive information from Trump over leak concerns, underscoring deep mistrusthttps://t.co/Hp2gTWU8CT
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) February 16, 2017
According to the report in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday night, intelligence officials have "withheld sensitive intelligence from President Donald Trump because they are concerned it could be leaked or compromised." The lack of trust in the president has become evident, with various leaks already leading to chaos in the administration, most notably the recent resignation of now former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
As the paper also reported, “crucial information about security threats or potential plotting" is now being kept from Trump.
REPORT: Intel Officials Are Withholding Sensitive Information from Trump https://t.co/OLY0aYnzla pic.twitter.com/B1RfshLfdg
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) February 16, 2017
In response, one offical in the White House dismissed the report in the Wall Street Journal, which was expected in an attempt to smooth recent tension.
"There is nothing that leads us to believe that this is an accurate account of what is actually happening," the White House offical said.
Next up
In just three and a half weeks, Donald Trump has turned Washington, D.C. upside down, with his approval rating already dropping to just 40 percent. Protests have become an almost daily routine, with his controversial "Muslim ban" executive order being blocked in by a federal judge, as well as in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. While the president has dismissed the backlash against him, he appears committed to defending his position and agenda, while hitting back at the alleged "fake news" media who report otherwise.
