Russia

How Could It Be That Nobody Told Trump About the Alleged Russian Bounties on US Soldiers?

The idea that Trump's briefer, a career government bureaucrat, decided to keep him out of the loop isn't credible, say current and former officials

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NBCUniversal, Inc. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany condemned The New York Times for publishing a story about the alleged Russia bounty payments for the killing of U.S. troops. “This level of controversy and discord plays directly into the hands of Russia and unfortunately serves their interest,” she said.

The CIA knew. The State Department knew. Senior congressional officials and the British government were briefed.

So how could it be that nobody told the president?

White House officials offered a new wrinkle Wednesday in their explanation of why President Donald Trump wasn't informed about intelligence collected earlier this year suggesting the Russians were paying the Taliban to kill Americans — even though officials in both the U.S. and the U.K. were aware of the reporting.

It was the decision of the president's intelligence briefer, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Fox and Friends.

The briefer, a career CIA analyst, "decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence," O'Brien said on Fox News. "And, by the way, she is an outstanding officer, and, knowing all the facts I know, I certainly support her decision."

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

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