Spicer: Leaks ‘Real Concern for this President,’ ‘Undermines National Security’

Tuesday at the White House press briefing, while answering questions about the resignation of Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser, press secretary Sean Spicer said part of the story ignored is leaks by government employees. Those employees he explained were “entrusted with national security secrets,” and that he argued undermined national security and was a “real concern” President Donald Trump.

Spicer said, “Understand that all of this information was leaked. I mean, again, I know we’ve got this me lecturing to you about what the stories should be, but I think there’s a real story here. The idea that not just in this administration but the Obama administration going back to the Bush administration. We have an issue where classified information, of which this would be, is handled in such a way that it is been given out. I know in some cases it’s a good story and I understand that, and that’s to some degree your responsibility to write that. I think there’s also a story here with the amount of leaks coming out that people are entrusted with national security secrets in classified information are leaking it out. That’s a real concern for this president.”

“That when he is talking on the phone with a world leader, that when he is making key decisions that are in the interest of protecting this country that we have to wonder whether or not people who work for our government, who are entrusted with classified information in decisional base material are leaking that information out,” he continued. “That I do believe is a big story that should be reported. I also believe the president is rightly so very, very concerned about this because it’s not just something that is plaguing the current situation, but it goes back to the Obama administration, the Bush administration, the Clinton administration. When we have government employees that are interested with this and then leak it out, that undermines our national security frankly.”

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