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Monday, 18 January 2021

Adam Schiff says Trump should be barred from post-presidency intelligence briefings because 'he cannot be trusted' with nation's secrets

 Adam Schiff said Sunday that Donald Trump should no longer receive intelligence briefing whether before or after his term ends as he cites national security concerns.

'There's no circumstance in which this president should get another intelligence briefing, not now, not in the future,' the House Intelligence Committee chairman told CBS' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday morning.

'I don't think he can be trusted with it now and in the future, he certainly can't be trusted,' Schiff continued. 'Indeed, there were, I think, any number of intelligence partners of ours around the world who probably started withholding information from us because they didn't trust the president would safeguard that information and protect their sources and methods. And that makes us less safe.'

Although there are only three days left of Trump's presidency, former FBI director James Comey said that former presidents are sometimes given intelligence briefings about the state of the world and potential threats.

'My understanding is,' Comey said during an interview with ABC's 'The View' on Friday, 'former presidents are, not all the time but on a regular basis, given general intelligence briefings about the state of the world and threats to the country.'

Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday that Donald Trump should be stripped from receiving post-presidency intelligence briefings because he is a threat to national security

Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday that Donald Trump should be stripped from receiving post-presidency intelligence briefings because he is a threat to national security

The House voted Wednesday to impeach Trump for 'inciting an insurrection' by riling up a crowd before they stormed the Capitol. They now claim he should be convicted and no longer receive any post-presidency benefits, like pension, Secret Service detail or briefings

The House voted Wednesday to impeach Trump for 'inciting an insurrection' by riling up a crowd before they stormed the Capitol. They now claim he should be convicted and no longer receive any post-presidency benefits, like pension, Secret Service detail or briefings

Comey revealed that the intelligence community wants to give former presidents 'a picture of what's going on in the world.'

'They're also given specific information if there's a threat to them,' he added.

Other than risking releasing future information, there are concerns from Democrats and from within the intelligence community that Trump could divulge sensitive information he learned as president to people who aren't authorized to receive it.

Some have even raised the potential of him selling information to foreign adversaries.

'We've seen this president politicize intelligence, and that's another risk to the country,' Schiff told CBS' Margaret Brennen.

Schiff wants Joe Biden's administration to 'absolutely' bar Trump from receiving any post-presidency briefings, claiming he is a security threat.

Post-presidential briefings, Comey said, are usually controlled by the director of national intelligence.

He said whoever fills that fole should 'take a very hard look at whether Donald Trump should be given information, including any information that might be sensitive to the security of the United States.'

'The guy's a lying demagogue who you can't trust,' Comey said. 'You want to be very, very careful about what you give him.'

Former FBI Director James Comey described Friday that past presidency do receive some briefings on the state of the world and, especially, if there are any direct threats to them

Former FBI Director James Comey described Friday that past presidency do receive some briefings on the state of the world and, especially, if there are any direct threats to them

'I'm hoping that he will have been stripped of the perks of a former president by being convicted by the U.S. Senate and barred from further participation in public office,' he said. 'Maybe that will be a reason for them to cut him off entirely.'

The House impeached Trump on Wednesday for 'incitement of insurrection' after he riled up a crowd before they marched over to the Capitol and breached the building. Trump is now the only president to be impeached twice.

It is not clear if the Senate will vote to convict but all Democrats and 17 Republicans would need to vote in favor of the measure. If this were to happen, Trump would be stripped of his post-presidency benefits, like his pension and Secret Service detail, and would be barred from running for office again in the future.

Schiff served as lead manager for the first impeachment trial where the Senate did not vote to convict Trump on either of the two articles sent to the upper chamber from the House.

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