Politics

Trump Implies Sally Yates Leaked Classified Information

Kaitlan Collins Contributor
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Donald Trump suggested Sally Yates should be asked how classified information was leaked to the press when she testifies Monday afternoon.

Yates, an Obama administration holdover who was the acting attorney general for just 10 days of the Trump administration before she was fired for refusing to uphold his travel ban, will testify before a Senate subcommittee about her discussions with the White House regarding former national security adviser Mike Flynn Monday. She told White House counsel Donald McGahn that Flynn had been in contact with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and warned he could be at risk for blackmail.

“Ask Sally Yates, under oath, if she knows how classified information got into the newspapers soon after she explained it to W.H. Council [sic],” Trump tweeted Monday, hours before Yates is set to testify. (RELATED: Miller Defends Firing Of Acting AG: ‘She Betrayed Her Office’)

The president also accused the “fake news” of not reporting that the Obama administration was responsible for issuing Mike Flynn his security clearance: “General Flynn was given the highest security clearance by the Obama Administration – but the Fake News seldom likes talking about that.” (RELATED: Spicer Says Donald Trump ‘Made The Right Call’ To Fire Mike Flynn)

President Barack Obama fired Flynn from his position as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014. Trump appointed him as his national security adviser in January after he spent months on the campaign trail with him.

Trump has repeatedly defended his character since he was fired by the White House in January, and even encouraged him to seek immunity if he were to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee.