Top Dem downplays Trump’s classified intel briefing (The Hill)
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) says Donald Trump’s first classified national intelligence briefing will likely have few sensitive details.
“I think it will be very topline,” he said Wednesday on MSNBC. "I think it will go, frankly, not much beyond what you would find on MSNBC, CNN or Fox any day of the week when you turn in to hear a national security discussion.”
Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said there would be little information capable of jeopardizing America’s safety.
“I think what he’s going to get is a very topline briefing that will set the context for what the national security challenges are that face the country but won’t go into anything that might reveal a source of information, a method of how we got that information, nothing of that level of specificity,” he said.
“Both because there will be a real sensitivity about the risk of disclosure of those sources and methods. But also because it’s really not necessary to give the kind of briefing that would frankly be of any value to that particular candidate.”
Schiff, who backs Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, added Trump’s briefing would probably bear similarities with the Congressional version.
“In fact, many of the classified briefings for the full House of Representatives have the same character, where we leave the briefing and get more detail watching your show than we did during the briefing. I think this will be even more top-level than what the 435 members of the House get.”
Trump is expected to receive his first classified national intelligence briefing Wednesday in New York City.
Major party political candidates and their running mates typically begin receiving the same intelligence briefings after being formally nominated.
Some Democrats have argued Trump is too erratic for the traditional meetings and may leak state secrets, however.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), for example, floated giving Trump “fake” intelligence briefings.
Trump has countered Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of State proves she is untrustworthy with classified information.
By: Mark Hensch
Source: The Hill