U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
A Republican Congressman from Wisconsin wants more details about whether President Donald Trump disclosed classified information to Russian officials during a meeting at the White House.
Trump is under fire following a Washington Post report that he shared classified information originally given to the U.S. by an ally, which could be seen as a violation of intelligence sharing protocols.
In a series of posts on Twitter, U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) said the president has the authority to release that information, but questioned whether he should. “While POTUS possesses the authority to disclose classified, even top secret, information, there’s a separate question of whether he should,” he wrote.
As an intelligence officer by training, I know firsthand the life and death implications of safeguarding classified information.
— Rep. Mike Gallagher (@RepGallagher) May 16, 2017
The Eighth District Republican said the nation’s allies must have the utmost confidence about the security of the information they share, and called for a transcript of the meeting to be turned over to the House and Senate intelligence committees. “I look forward to Congress getting a thorough account of the President’s meeting with Russian officials last week.”
Gallagher also seemed to question President Trump’s assertion that he wants Russia to “step up” their efforts to fight ISIS and terrorism. “Regardless of what was shared in the meeting, it’s dangerous to believe that Russia can be a reliable counterterrorism partner,” he said.
Gallagher was also among Republicans who openly questioned the firing of FBI Director James Comey last week and called for continuing Congressional investigations into possible ties between Russian interference in the presidential election and the president’s campaign.