If the tale as we have been told it thus far is not misleading or incomplete, we’ve just heard what is unquestionably the worst story yet about Donald Trump and his actions and behavior as president. Both the Washington Post and Buzzfeed are reporting that last week Trump revealed intelligence of the most highly sensitive nature to the Russian Foreign Minister in the Oval Office. That intel, it is said, was gathered by a foreign service and shared with us. Its revelation to untrustworthy actors is extraordinarily dangerous.

Both National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Tillerson are saying the president did not compromise “sources, methods, or military operations.” But the Washington Post story does not allege he did. It says he “did not reveal the specific intelligence gathering method, but described how the Islamic State was pursuing elements of a specific plot and how much harm such an attack could cause under varying circumstances. Most alarmingly, officials said, Trump revealed the city in the Islamic State’s territory where the U.S. intelligence partner detected the threat.”

What the president may have done here it is not illegal. The power to classify information flows from the president himself under the auspices of Article II of the Constitution, so it stands to reason he cannot be charged with its mishandling as a criminal matter.

But. But. But. The mishandling of classified information could certainly be defined as a high crime or a misdemeanor by Congress, these being the terms under which an impeachment charge can be levied at the president


https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/trumps-supposed-leak-the-worst-thing-yet/