Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday U.S. intelligence officials betrayed the country if they were behind the leak of information about the bomb used in last week’s attack in Manchester.
“If it came from the United States, it’s totally unacceptable. And I don’t know why people do these kind of things, but it’s borderline, if not over the line, of treason,” Kelly told NBC “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd on Sunday.
Kelly said he called British Home Minister Amber Rudd following the Monday evening bombing at an Ariana Grande concert. Rudd brought up the New York Times report, which featured images of the bomb used in that attack.
The homeland security chief said his English counterpart “did” have a point to complain about the leak. The British at one point last week cut off intelligence sharing with the United States about the Manchester attack before President Trump reassured British Prime Minister Theresa May that the leaks would stop.
Kelly also criticized leakers within the intelligence agencies who have released information about the Trump administration over the past four months.
Trump has consistently complained about information making its way out of the intelligence community and into the press since he won the election in November.
