On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff asserted on Sunday that if former President Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee, the intelligence community should simplify his briefings.
Schiff, discussing his recent advancement to the general election for a potential seat filling the late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein’s position, responded to NBC host Kristen Welker’s inquiry about Trump’s prospective intelligence briefings.
Welker raised the issue of U.S. intelligence officials planning to brief Trump despite facing 40 felony charges related to classified documents.
Adam Schiff (Credits: The Hill)
Schiff, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, acknowledged the long tradition of briefing presidential nominees but expressed his hope that the intelligence community would limit the information shared with Trump due to his perceived criminal negligence.
Schiff emphasized that no candidate had exhibited such recklessness in handling classified information before and advocated for “dumbing down” Trump’s briefings by providing him with only the necessary information.
He expressed concerns about Trump’s trustworthiness with sensitive information and stated that the intelligence community should be cautious about sharing details that could compromise sources or methods.
Adam Schiff (Credits: Los Angeles Times)
Schiff’s removal from the Intelligence Committee chairmanship by former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was mentioned, with McCarthy citing Schiff’s defense of the discredited Steele dossier. The dossier, promoted by Democrats, alleged Trump’s corruption with Russia.
Trump’s indictment for mishandling classified documents by Special Counsel Jack Smith was acknowledged, but the trial’s scheduling remains pending. Trump argued in early March to delay the trial until after the 2024 election during oral presentations to Judge Aileen Cannon.
