"Ad hoc" disclosure of intel. sets Trump apart, experts say
News that President Trump shared "inappropriate" -- and possibly highly classified information -- about an ISIS plot with Russian diplomats sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C., and beyond.
But it wouldn't be the first time a sitting president has shared classified information. Past presidents have shared secret intelligence, and the president has broad authority to declassify information, as the highest U.S. government official. What differentiates Mr. Trump's disclosure -- a revelation he has confirmed -- is the justification for it and the approach, according to experts in presidential history and national security.
"I've never seen anything like this in terms of this kind of aspect -- the apparent recklessness involved," said Chris Edelson, assistant professor of government and a director of Politics, Policy and Law Scholars Program at American University in Washington, D.C.
Past presidents have generally only shared classified information after deliberation and for a specific purpose. But, according to Mr. Trump's own national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, Mr. Trump decided to share information with the Russian diplomats during the course of their meeting last week, and the president was unaware of where the intelligence originated. Sources have confirmed to CBS News that the information originated from Israeli intelligence sources, and it's unclear if the president had the explicit approval of the Israelis to share it.
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