Trump calls intel whistle-blower complaint 'fake news;' Dems demand answers
President Trump denied on Thursday he said anything inappropriate to a foreign leader, as reportedly alleged by a government whistle-blower.
According to a report in the Washington Post, Trump, in a phone call with an unnamed foreign leader, made an unspecified promise that so alarmed one member of the intelligence community that it yielded a complaint with the inspector general.
That IG, Michael Atkinson, met behind closed doors with the House intelligence committee on Thursday. Its chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., had complained about the administration withholding information from the rightful oversight of Congress.
Atkinson did not discuss the substance of the complaint, according to one person familiar with the closed session on Thursday, which continued through the morning.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
In a series of tweets, Trump called the report fake news.
"Virtually anytime I speak on the phone to a foreign leader, I understand that there may be many people listening from various U.S. agencies, not to mention those from the other country itself," Trump wrote, adding: "No problem! "
Trump went on to wonder, "is anybody dumb enough to believe that I would say something inappropriate with a foreign leader while on such a potentially 'heavily populated' call. I would only do what is right anyway, and only do good for the USA!"
Schiff said in a earlier statement that the intelligence community's IG determined that this complaint is "both credible and urgent, and that it should be transmitted to Congress under the clear letter of the law. The committee places the highest importance on the protection of whistle-blowers and their complaints to Congress."
Schiff said acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire will testify in an open session before the panel next week.
The Post reported that the as-yet unknown intelligence official filed his formal complaint to the IG on August 12, and that records show the president had "conversations or interactions" with five foreign leaders in the preceding weeks, including a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and two letters from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Other members of Congress away from Schiff's committee say they're waiting to learn more about what's behind all the hubbub. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who sits on the Senate intelligence committee, said he believes his panel may be next in line.
"I'm anxious to hear more about it, but I expect we will in due course," he said.
NPR correspondents Claudia Grisales and Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.
Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.