Ukraine's Defense Minister to visit South Korea for weapons aid
Former US Defense Secretary calls Trump threat to national security
Former Pentagon chief Mark Esper has expressed concerns about the handling of classified documents by the 45th US President Donald Trump, calling his actions a threat to US national security
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Politico reported the information.
Mark Esper criticized former President Donald Trump for his handling of classified information after leaving office.
The former Pentagon chief compared the case of Trump, who was recently indicted on 37 charges related to classified documents as president, to the case of Jack Teixeira, who published classified White House documents online.
"It’s just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation’s security at risk," Esper said.
He added that people describe Trump as a hoarder when it comes to these kinds of documents, but it is clear that this was unauthorized, illegal and dangerous.
The former Pentagon chief also outlined scenarios in which mishandling classified documents could cause trouble for the US.
"Imagine if a foreign agent, another country were to discover documents that outline America’s vulnerabilities or the weaknesses of the United States military. Think about how that could be exploited, how that could be used against us in a conflict, how an enemy could develop countermeasures, things like that. Or in the case of the most significant piece that was raised in the allegation about US plans to attack Iran, think about how that affects our readiness, our ability to prosecute an attack," Esper said.
When asked whether, in Esper's opinion, national secrets could be entrusted to Trump again if he is elected president of the US in 2024, the former US Secretary of Defense said that if the allegations are confirmed, they cannot.
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On June 7, a federal grand jury indicted former US President Donald Trump on 7 counts of unauthorized storage of about 100 classified documents.
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On June 10, the US Department of Justice issued an indictment against Trump in the case of mishandling classified documents. He faces 400 years in prison.
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On June 13, former US President Donald Trump arrived at the Miami federal court building in Florida, where he was formally arrested in the case of mishandling classified documents.
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