WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Tuesday after President Trump tweeted that he shared intelligence information with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in the Oval Office, seemingly confirming The Washington Post’s reporting that Trump told the Russians about sensitive intelligence the United States received from an ally:
“Releasing highly classified information to one of our greatest adversaries is outrageous and unacceptable. The President should not give out sensitive information to a country that does not share our values and that seeks to undermine us here at home and around the world. In doing so, the president has potentially compromised our partnership with a country that is giving us critically important intelligence information. His actions could make it more difficult for us to get this kind of information in the future, thereby jeopardizing the national security of our country and the safety of the American people.
“When will the President realize that Russia is not our friend, or our partner? They are a bully and an adversary that seeks to undermine our country at every point. Mr. Trump consistently fails to see the ongoing threat from Moscow and each time he does, the situation becomes more dangerous for our country.”
###