What did Donald Trump do today?
He expressed concern about "illegal leaks" regarding, for example, his handling of North Korea.
Trump's enthusiasm for informational security where North Korea is concerned is a marked change from his approach on Saturday, when he discussed his administration's response to a North Korean missile launch in full view of Mar-a-Lago waitstaff and club members. Trump and staffers used unsecured phones to illuminate secret documents in the candlelit public dining area rather than go to a special secure facility, hardened against eavesdropping, that travels with the president.
Dinner patrons, fully aware of what was being discussed, posted pictures of Trump's deliberations and selfies with the military officer carrying the "nuclear football" to social media. Trump was even willing to smile for the camera when a club member approached him in the midst of the impromptu North Korea strategy session.
Trump has repeatedly said that Hillary Clinton should be jailed for storing confidential memos on a private server.
So what?
- "Leaks" are probably the least of our informational security problems under the circumstances.
- By definition, the kind of unauthorized leaks Trump is fretting about come from staff members who are trying to manipulate him in the press.