FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Florida representatives reacted to reports that President Donald Trump shared highly classified information with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister.
Initially, representatives met Monday morning, in Fort Lauderdale, to discuss their concerns about Trump’s new health care plan, but the focus shifted in the wake of the report that Trump shared classified information.
“President Trump should be banned from getting access to highly classified sensitive information,” said Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who hosted the meeting along with Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch.
“President Trump is causing people to lose sleep,” said she said. “He is making them feel panicked and like their safety and security is in jeopardy.”
Rep. Deutch believes the sharing of classified information puts the United States at risk.
“The leak of classified information by the president of the United States to the Russians, in the Oval Office, puts at risk our relationship with our allies at a critical time,” said Deutch. “It puts at risk the ability to gather the intelligence that is necessary to keep us safe, and as a result it puts at risk our national security.”
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said the sharing of information “demonstrates that the president is undisciplined.”
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio believes that accuracy is important when discussing the recent reports.
“I have very specific questions, and I hope they’ll be answered at some point today,” said Rubio.
Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen believes the issue isn’t whether or not the president has the power to declassify information but how he uses that power.
“You have the power to fire the FBI director,” said Ros-Lehtinen. “You have lots of powers. That doesn’t mean you use it and abuse it.”
Ros-Lehtinen also believes the president has jeopardized relationships with allies “because they believe the United States can’t be trusted with classified information,” she said.
Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson also released a statement saying she believes the president is desperate for attention and needs psychological help.
“He’s the president of the United States,” said Wilson. “There are some things that must be confidential just with your secuity staff, even with your nation.
“Russia is not our friend and he should know that,” she said.
Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart tweeted “Putin and the Russian regime are dangerous players in the global arena. They’re not our allies and can’t be trusted with sensitive information, classified [information].”
Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo also took to Twitter saying, “The importance of carefully handling classified information was one of the big lessons of 2016. All leaders should be held to the same standard.”
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