Political Wire

  • Front Page
  • Members
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In
  • Trending
  • Resources
    • Politics Extra
    • Political Job Hunt
    • Political Dictionary
    • Electoral Vote Map
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / White House / Trump Sought Release of Classified Russia Memo

Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!


Trump Sought Release of Classified Russia Memo

January 27, 2018 at 7:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“On Wednesday, as Republicans were clamoring to make public a secret document that they think will undercut the investigation into Russian meddling, President Trump made clear his desire: release the memo,” the Washington Post reports.

“Trump’s directive was at odds with his own Justice Department, which had warned that releasing the classified memo written by congressional Republicans would be ‘extraordinarily reckless’ without an official review.”

”Trump and his Republican allies have placed special emphasis on the classified memo, which was written by staff for House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) and suggests that the FBI may have relied on politically motivated or questionable sources to justify its request for a secret surveillance warrant in the investigation’s early phase. Democrats have characterized the memo as misleading talking points designed to smear the FBI and said it inaccurately summarizes investigative materials that are also classified.”

FavoriteLoadingSave to Favorites
  • Bluesky
  • X
  • Threads
  • Facebook
  • Email

Filed Under: White House


You're reading the free version of Political Wire

Upgrade to a paid membership to unlock full access. The process is quick and easy. You can even use Apple Pay.

Upgrade Now

  • ✔ Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
  • ✔ If you're already a member, log in for the full experience.



Recent Posts

Trump’s TikTok Deal Leaves a Big Loophole

September 26, 2025 at 9:31 am EDTSeptember 26, 2025 at 9:32 am EDT

President Trump signed an executive order aimed at reshaping the future of TikTok in the United States. The move clears the way for a new coalition of investors — all…

Orban Vows Retribution After Sex Abuse Scandal

September 26, 2025 at 9:16 am EDTSeptember 26, 2025 at 9:17 am EDT

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to severely punish those who make unfounded allegations against his cabinet, in a bid to deflect a scandal that may risk hurting his campaign…

The Comey Indictment Is Not Just Payback

September 26, 2025 at 9:03 am EDT

David Frum: “Yes, Trump’s politicization of the Department of Justice is a backward-looking expression of hurt feelings. It’s also another step in a forward-looking plot to shred the rule of…

Pam Bondi Fires Another Prosecutor in Miami

September 26, 2025 at 8:57 am EDTSeptember 26, 2025 at 8:59 am EDT

Miami Herald: “Federal prosecutor Will Rosenzweig took a short break from his healthcare fraud and money-laundering cases at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami this week to observe the Jewish…

Ad Spending Doesn’t Suggest New Jersey Is Close

September 26, 2025 at 8:48 am EDTSeptember 26, 2025 at 8:49 am EDT

A good observation from The Downballot: “Even as a new independent poll finds a tied race for New Jersey’s open governorship, backers of Republican Jack Ciattarelli are still not spending…

Iran Increases Work at Mysterious Underground Site

September 26, 2025 at 8:31 am EDT

“Iran has increased construction at a mysterious underground site in the months since the U.S. and Israel pummeled its main nuclear facilities, suggesting Tehran has not entirely ceased work on…

BBC Defends Reporting on Charlie Kirk’s Killing

September 26, 2025 at 7:56 am EDT

The BBC rejected complaints about its coverage of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, saying its reporting was “proportionate and appropriate,” Deadline reports. Save to Favorites

News Media Pushes Back at Pentagon Restrictions

September 26, 2025 at 7:52 am EDT

Oliver Darcy: “Inside the halls of the Pentagon, reporters are wondering: Will this be their last week reporting from the building? Last Friday, the Pete Hegseth–led Department of Defense notified…

Russia Is Helping Prepare China to Attack Taiwan

September 26, 2025 at 7:27 am EDT

“Russia has agreed to equip and train a Chinese airborne battalion and share its expertise in airdropping armored vehicles that analysts say could boost Beijing’s capacity to seize Taiwan, according…

Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid

September 26, 2025 at 7:25 am EDT

ProPublica: “The records show that Noem quickly expedited more than $11 million of federal money to rebuild a historic pier in Naples, Florida, after she was contacted by a major…

The Escalator Investigator

September 26, 2025 at 6:27 am EDT

Stephen Colbert investigated President Trump’s claim of “triple sabotage” during his United Nations appearance this week. Save to Favorites

Trump Is Pretty Much on His Own Now

September 26, 2025 at 6:20 am EDT

Businessweek: “The theme of this year’s United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York is ‘Better Together.’ It’s a tag line that’s typical of the UN’s painstaking messaging by committee:…

Jumping the Shark

September 26, 2025 at 6:00 am EDTSeptember 26, 2025 at 6:40 am EDT

The latest episode of Trial Balloon is live for members. Did Republicans jump the shark on free speech? Join now to continue reading. Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and…

Most Americans Say Country’s Best Days Are Behind It

September 26, 2025 at 5:45 am EDT

“For the first time in nearly a decade of polling, more than half of Americans say the country’s best days are already behind it. Three-quarters think the country’s political system…

Disengaged Voters Are the Key to Winning Future Elections

September 26, 2025 at 5:43 am EDT

“A consensus opinion has emerged about President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election: Disengaged voters were critical,” CNN reports. “With partisans deeply dug in, and views of the parties…

Why It Will Be Tough to Convict James Comey

September 26, 2025 at 5:41 am EDT

New York Times: “Getting an indictment is relatively easy for prosecutors, who have a lot of sway over grand juries. Winning at trial is much harder, and in the Comey…

Trump Orders Broad Effort to Root Out Liberal Groups

September 26, 2025 at 5:30 am EDT

“President Trump on Thursday ordered his administration to investigate what he claimed were rich people and organizations funding left-wing political violence around the country, citing the recent assassination of the…

Epstein Estate Turns Over New Documents

September 26, 2025 at 5:25 am EDT

“The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has received new materials from the estate of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” Politico reports. “The delivery of documents comes in response…

Fact of the Day

September 26, 2025 at 5:20 am EDT

Punchbowl News: “Hakeem Jeffries has absolutely no relationship with Trump. The two have never met. In fact, Democrats say Trump has never even uttered Jeffries’ name.” Save to Favorites

Mamdani Up By 20 Points

September 26, 2025 at 5:17 am EDT

A new Suffolk University poll in New York City finds Zohran Mamdani (D) leading the mayoral race with 45%, followed by Andrew Cuomo (I) at 25%, Curtis Sliwa (R) at…

« Wynn Steps Down from RNC Post
Trump Won’t Visit U.K. Unless Protests Banned »

Get Smarter About Politics

Members get exclusive analysis, a trending news page, the Trial Balloon podcast, bonus newsletters and no advertising. Learn more.

Subscribe

Your Account

Sign in

Latest for Members

  • Jumping the Shark
  • Democrats Reach for an Open Senate Seat
  • Ballot Access Battles Intensify Ahead of the Midterms
  • Is the New Jersey Governor’s Race Really Close?
  • For Once, a Trump Controversy That Sticks

Word of the Day

Freedom Riders: Freedom riders were northerners who took interstate buses down to the south in order to protest Jim Crow and segregation policies.

Read the full definition

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.

Copyright © 2025 · Goddard Media LLC | Privacy Policy | Corrections Policy

Political Wire ® is a registered trademark of Goddard Media LLC