The media gave little attention to former CIA Director John Brennan’s remark on Tuesday, when he said he was “very concerned” about “very, very damaging” leaks that have also drawn complaints from President Trump.
Brennan made the comment during the hours-long hearing on investigations into Russia’s meddling in the election, which mostly focused on whether there was any collusion between Moscow and President Trump’s campaign. But he was also asked about the leaks of confidential information that have been damaging to the Trump administration, and said those leaks should also be investigated.
“What I was very concerned about, though, is the subsequent releases of what appears to be classified information, purporting to point to the originator of the information, liaison partners,” he said, referring to a previous report based on an anonymous leak that detailed a private conversation between Trump and two Russian officials earlier this month. “These continue to be very, very damaging leaks and I find them appalling. So, that was where the damage came from, I think, that it was released in the press.”
Brennan’s comments echoed what Trump and other White House officials have said as they have faced a series of reports based on damaging leaks, some of which the administration has not disputed, and even as the much of the media have insisted that is the substance of the leaks that is more important.
Coverage of Brennan’s hearing, though, was mostly focused on his admission that before stepping down as head of the CIA in January, he had concerns about contacts between Russians and “U.S. persons involved in the [Trump] campaign or not.”
The New York Times did not cover Brennan’s comments on leaks at all, but did run an article under the headline, “Ex-C.I.A. Chief Reveals Mounting Concern Over Trump Campaign and Russia.”
The Washington Post didn’t cover Brennan’s “leaks” remark either.
CNN’s website has no stories about it either, but the channel’s Twitter account did post a clip from the hearing that included Brennan’s comments about the danger of the leaks.
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo mentioned the issue of leaks, but only to ask whether they were really harming national security.
“He said, ‘I’ll tell you what concerns me, it’s not just these reports but their source, the leaks, could be compromising national security, could make foreign leaders not want to work with us,'” Cuomo said in an interview Tuesday with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. “What has come out that has compromised national security or chill a foreign leader?”
He asked later, “Are the leaks the problem here?”
None of the three major networks published stories on their websites related to the leaks comment, though in a live blog covering the hearing, CBS did quote that portion of Brennan’s testimony.
