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The real reason Trump didn’t release details of his calls with Putin hotair.com/archives/2019/…
Why would Trump have those records around when he’s constantly surrounded by leakers?
The Post’s report that President Trump “has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin” has raised hackles in Washington. Some have gone so far as to suggest this is evidence that Teump is a secret Russian asset.
More likely it is evidence that the president feels he cannot trust those around him not to leak the details of his private conversations with foreign leaders. Why would he think that? Because he has repeatedly seen the classified details of those conversations leak to the media.
Trump has plenty of history to draw on. There have been leaks to the media of transcripts of his calls to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and British Prime Minister Theresa May.
The press isn’t angry about some lack of transparency or responsibility to inform the public of his communications with foreign leaders. They’re upset that they missed out on a juicy leak.
Some have tried to argue that the President’s Executive Privilege doesn’t apply to such calls. Perhaps not on paper, but do you think we’ve ever had the full details of most conversations between presidents / foreign leaders before the dawn of the age of the Media War on Trump?
Who do you suppose was taking notes of the 2012 in-person conversation between Putin and Barack Obama when the 44th President was caught on a hot mic telling Putin he would have more “flexibility” after the election?
Do you think anyone would have known about it if that mic hadn’t been on?
