“President Trump ordered his chief of staff to grant his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, a top-secret security clearance last year, overruling concerns flagged by intelligence officials and the White House’s top lawyer,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Trump’s decision in May so troubled senior administration officials that at least one, the White House chief of staff at the time, John Kelly, wrote a contemporaneous internal memo about how he had been ‘ordered’ to give Mr. Kushner the top-secret clearance.”
“The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining the concerns that had been raised about Mr. Kushner — including by the C.I.A. — and how Mr. McGahn had recommended that he not be given a top-secret clearance.”
“The disclosure of the memos contradicts statements made by the president, who told the New York Times in January in an Oval Office interview that he had no role in his son-in-law receiving his clearance.”
?Political Trivia
Eight moments in political history. Put them on a timeline.
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Five senators. Three bills. Can you guess how they all voted?
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Nine Justices. One case. How did they rule?
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Do you have your finger on the pulse of America?
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Four questions a day.
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A new game every day.