Loose lips: President needs to keep secret materials secret

President Donald Trump apparently revealed classified information to Russian officials last week, setting off a firestorm that broke this week when it was reported in the Washington Post.

The White House denied the report, saying that any information that Trump might have shared with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister was already well known to both.

Trump can't get into any trouble over the supposed leak. Anytime the president wants to declassify secret information he has that right. But the report is troubling nonetheless.

If Trump did give away a state secret provided to the United States by an ally, it could damage our reputation in the intelligence community. Moreover, it could put people's lives in danger.

We know Trump is boastful. But he needs to understand that when he is dealing with foreign officials, especially the Russians, that usually the less said the better.

Published in Editorials on May 16, 2017 9:22 AM