Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice is slamming President Donald Trump for failing to appropriately respond to intelligence reports suggesting Russian operatives placed bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
The White House and the Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe previously denied Trump was initially briefed on the issue.
Rice appeared on NBCâs âMeet the Pressâ where she was asked why Trump had six subsequent phone calls with Vladimir Putin following the revelation of the intelligence and why he did not did not raise the issue to him.
Rice argued this is the time to think of consequences for Putin rather than catering to him.
âThis is not the time to be handing Putin an olive branch. This is a time to be working up options to punish him,â Rice said.
She continued, âAnd yet thatâs not what happens. This is really extraordinary. We have a president who is doing our arch adversaryâs bidding, it would seem.â
Watch her comments below:
Trump has received backlash from others including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
During an appearance on ABC Newsâ âThis Weekâ on June 28, Pelosi said Trump âshould have been briefedâ on the reports and explained Trump may have ignored them because, âThe president wants to ignore any allegation against Russia,â as IJR previously reported.
Just days later Pelosi responded to Trumpâs claim the reports are a âhoaxâ by calling the president a âhoaxâ himself.
On June 30, Biden revealed his opinion of how Trump handled the intelligence, as IJR previously reported.
Biden said Trumpâs actions were a âdereliction of duty.â
Rice went on to slam intelligence officials for not properly briefing Trump.
âHeâs surrounded by sycophants and weaklings who arenât doing their jobs, who donât have the confidence in themselves and in the mission that they are there to carry out to bring the president the tough messages he needs to hear,â Rice said.
During a press briefing on June 30, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump had been officially briefed on the matter.
