President Donald Trump arrived at NATO headquarters here Thursday under a cloud of suspicion about the security of foreign intelligence shared with the United States, a controversy he tried to head off by vowing to end leaks of secret information.
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling, ” the statement said. “These leaks have been going on for a long time and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security. I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“There is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, ” the President wrote in his statement.
Trump was facing May for the first time since Monday’s suicide attack in Manchester during a meeting here of European and North American leaders. In the days since the attack, secret information about the investigation has appeared in US media after leaks from American officials.
“On the issue of the intelligence sharing with the United States of America, we have a special relationship with the USA. It is our deepest defense and security partnership, ” May told reporters as she arrived at the NATO summit in Brussels.
“Of course that partnership is built on trust and part of that trust is knowing that intelligence can be shared confidently, and I will be making clear to President Trump today that intelligence that is shared between law enforcement agencies must remain secure, ” May added.
Trump ignored shouted questions about whether Britain could trust the US with its intelligence as he was greeting French President Emmanuel Macron outside the US Chief of Mission’s residence ahead of talks.
Inside, Trump ignored the questions again, mouthing “thank you” before dismissing reporters from the room.
But shortly after he arrived at NATO, Trump released a written statement decrying intelligence leaks.
“The alleged leaks coming out of government agencies are deeply troubling. These leaks have been going on for a long time and my administration will get to the bottom of this. The leaks of sensitive information pose a grave threat to our national security, ” the statement said. “I am asking the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to launch a complete review of this matter, and if appropriate, the culprit should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“There is no relationship we cherish more than the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, ” the President wrote in his statement.
British officials are fuming that information about the attack have surfaced in the US press after it was shared with their American counterparts.
It’s put a shadow over the fourth stop of Trump’s first foreign trip, which has also brought him to Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem and Rome. Back home, new questions were also surfacing about alleged ties between Trump’s campaign and Russia, a storyline Trump had hoped to escape during his international foray.
The confrontation over leaks has led to a suspension of intelligence sharing between the Greater Manchester Police and US officials, according to Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
“The decision that’s been taken is — not to suspend any sharing of information — it’s just information related to this particular investigation because we, quite frankly, can’t afford to risk it anymore, it has been compromised by the leaks and we can’t afford anymore, so we’ve taken a temporary decision to say, ‘let’s clear it out and draw a line, let’s not have a row that lingers on.’ Nobody wants that, but equally we have to make our opinions clear so we can get this relationship back to where we all want it to be, ” Burnham told CNN.
The intelligence dust-up threatened to dampen Trump’s formal introduction to leaders here at NATO, the first heads-of-state gathering that Trump has attended since taking office. While here, he’s set to participate in a ceremony honoring NATO’s mutual defense pact and meet for talks over dinner.
Trump has met most of the leaders during visits to the White House, but his appearance in Brussels offers the first opportunity for him to hold broader discussions with his counterparts.
For months, Trump has been railing against leaks from inside the US government. It could be a moment for Trump to make a similar case on the world stage.
Administration officials were weighing how Trump would respond when he arrives at the NATO summit Thursday afternoon. The White House had no immediate comment.
The United States and Britain are both participants in the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing pact between English-speaking nations. The leader of another member, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, declined to answer directly Thursday whether he was reconsidering his country’s intelligence agreement with the United States.
“The track record has shown collaboration and cooperation between allies, ” Trudeau said ahead of the NATO talks. “We will continue to collaborate and work together to ensure we do everything we can to keep citizens and communities safe.”
Trump himself wasn’t planning to speak with reporters at NATO, unlike several of his counterparts, including Trudeau, May, Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Fighting extremism has been a central theme of Trump’s first trip abroad. The Manchester terror attack has added urgency to the President’s argument.
“When you see something like what happened a few days ago, you realize how important it is to win this fight, ” Trump said Wednesday night at the Royal Palace here. “We will win this fight. It’s a horrible situation, what took place is horrible. Unthinkable. But we will win.”
Trump’s administration has faced questions at multiple points this month about the sanctity of intelligence shared by foreign governments.
In a meeting with Russian officials on May 10, Trump revealed highly classified details about a plane bombing plot. The information was gleaned from the Israeli intelligence services, and was said to be so detailed that its origin would be obvious.
Visiting Israel earlier this week, Trump insisted during an off-script moment that he never mentioned Israel by name with his Russian guests.
