The national security adviser quit on Monday night after (allegedly) lying about discussing sanctions with the Russian ambassador before Trump had even taken office. It’s a major scandal for the White House, just three weeks into Trump’s tenure.
Obviously eager to change the subject and reset the news cycle, Trump tweeted Tuesday morning:
Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway and Steve Doocy of Fox & Friends similarly shifted the conversation to the “shady” and “troubling” leakiness of the administration.
The notion that leaks are the biggest takeaway from the past 24 hours is, of course, ludicrous. And Trump’s supposed concern about leaks disrupting his dealings with North Korea is particularly rich, given yesterday’s revelation that he took a call about a North Korean missile launch in the middle of the Mar-a-Lago private dining area, within earshot of waitstaff and members. He then proceeded to look at security documents using lights from smartphones that may not have been secure.
In other words, the president of the United States himself is making America vulnerable to leaking and hacking—and even that isn’t the biggest headline emerging from the White House at the moment.