The top Democrat and Republican committee of the House Armed Services warned Monday President Trump
Donald John Trump’s leadership over Trump merges in new national poll Biden finds barriers in bidding to forge ties with US allies. Cheney calls Snowden ‘unconscious’ after Trump says he considers it MORE against Edward Snowden’s apology, and said the former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor and whistleblower “enormous damage” to U.S. national security.
“Edward Snowden has done enormous damage to our national security and he must stand trial for his actions,” Rep. Adam Smith
David (Adam) Adam SmithOvernight Defense: Trump Shoved to Restore Full National Guard Funding | Watchdog fails Pompeo over civilian risk of Saudi arms sale Legislators press Trump to restore full funding for National Guard responds to pandemic Overnight defense: Embattled Pentagon policy nominee withdraws, gets appointment to deputy policy chair | Marines, sailor killed in training crash in California identified | Managers plead for extension of funds in response to Guard’s coronavirus MORE (D-Wash.), A rank Rep. Mac Thornberry
William (Mac) McClellan ThornberryBottom line Overnight Defense: US withdraws 11,900 troops | Troop shuffle to cost ‘several billion’ dollars | Lawmakers pan drawdown plan | Trump says he has not discussed expected fines with Putin Lawmakers torch Trump’s plan to withdraw 11,900 troops from Germany MORE (R-Texas) said in a joint statement.
“President Trump and [Defense Secretary Mark Esper
Mark EsperTrump on Esper: ‘I consider firing everybody’ One hundred days later, Esper still must explain landmine policy reversal The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden, Harris launch Trump offensive in first joint appearance MORE] have resolved both damaging leaks from the Department of Defense and elsewhere in the federal government. To forgive Snowden now would completely undermine this position of the administration and mock our national security worker who takes extreme caution in their work to keep us safe, ‘she wrote.
Trump told a news conference Saturday at his golf club in New Jersey that he was looking for forgiveness from the former NSA contractor, who was accused of espionage in 2013 after releasing a trove of classified documents on U.S. surveillance programs.
“I’m not that aware of the Snowden situation, but I’ll start looking at it later,” Trump said.
Trump also told the New York Post last week that he thought he would allow Snowden – who fled the US and was granted asylum in Russia – to return to the US without getting jail time.
The recent remarks are an over-face from remarks he made more than seven years ago, when he said in a 2013 interview that he thought Snowden was “a terrible threat” and “traitor.”
Since remarks by the president on Saturday, member of the House Armed Services Committee, Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Has also spoken out against such a move, calling the idea “unconscious.”
Thornberry and Smith added that it would be “a serious mistake” to forgive anyone accused under the Espionage Act because it “would send a dangerous message to others who are considering espionage and the opponents who would support them. ”
But Snowden’s forgiveness has also received increasing support in the years since the leak. A number of lawmakers and civil liberties advocates have backed approval of Trump’s recent comments, claiming that Snowden’s exposed unconstitutional surveillance practices.
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