Former national security adviser John Bolton said he is “perplexed” about reports of former President Trump receiving intelligence briefings if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee.
“I’m somewhat perplexed myself that the Biden White House has apparently agreed that he’ll get these briefings,” Bolton said in an interview with MSNBC’s Katy Tur.
His comments come after multiple outlets reported Thursday that intelligence agencies are gearing up to share information with the former president, as he is likely to be the GOP nominee for the White House. As NBC News reported, the briefings would come despite Trump’s troubled history with classified documents.
“I don’t think it makes any sense,” Bolton argued. “And I think it, really, puts whatever he is told at risk of being disclosed.”
It is customary for major-party candidates to be included in intelligence briefings once they’ve secured their respective party’s nomination, which could make transitioning into the White House easier if they win the presidency.
Trump is currently facing 40 charges claiming he mishandled classified records and tried to obstruct the government from retrieving them after he left the White House. The files allegedly contained national defense and weapons information, including some that had top secret markings.
President Biden has also been accused of retaining documents from his time as vice president.
A special counsel report released in February determined that the president “willfully” retained classified documents, but did not bring charges against him. Instead, it painted Biden as to “an elderly man with a poor memory.”
In the wake of the report, Trump pushed for his own case to be dismissed.
