President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff John Kelly are apparently furious that details of the President’s national security briefing materials which were telling him not to congratulate Russian President Vladimir Putin were leaked to the press.
According to a CNN, Trump was reportedly “fuming” on Tuesday night after The Washington Post reported that Trump’s national security advisers specifically instructed him not to congratulate Putin on his electoral victory.
Only a small group of staffers would have access to those briefing materials and would have known what his advisers would suggest before the phone call to Putin on Tuesday morning, CNN reported.
The Post also reported that the materials read “DO NOT CONGRATULATE.”
Apparently, after the leak Trump was asking allies and outside advisers who they thought was responsible for the leak.
The source told CNN that the incident has again given air to Trump’s long-held belief that members of his administration are actively working against him.
A White House official said that Kelly is furious that a confidential presidential briefing was made public just hours after the President’s phone call with Putin.
Meanwhile, other White House staffers are irritated by the most recent leak as well.
“This is unacceptable,” one White House official told CNN.
Trump also came under harsh criticism in Washington for celebrating Putin’s victory, especially from Senator John McCain who said that the congratulation was an “insult to every Russian citizen” who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election.
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