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Growing concern over series of high-profile intel leaks

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    Former U.S. Ambassador to U.N. John Bolton weighs in

  • Duration 5:39
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This transcript is automatically generated

So who would be on the short list here of people privy to this kind of intelligence.

Want to bring in someone who has been in many high level White House meetings under a prior administration.

And that is John Bolton who's a former US ambassador to the United Nations and -- Fox News contributor ambassador welcome to you.

So now you have it though the president saying it wasn't.

The White House.

And his critics suggesting it it likely was.

I wanna just tee up before bringing and is one a T -- the back for listen to how the president phrase than the denial on Friday.

-- Pete king in his accusations here.

The notion that.

My White House.

Would purposely.

Release.

Classified national security information.

His offense this is the most shameful -- -- believe I've ever heard or seen in government.

It's clear from those stories just came right from the White House -- right from the National Security Council came right from the situation room.

-- have to weed through people very high up in the administration in his White House and just.

So they hear that bit.

Distinction the president says not in my White House Axelrod saying not my White House and then Jay Carney at the press briefing moments ago.

Gonna bring you 12 but just listen to him correct himself play it.

This administration.

Under any of this White House and the guidance of the president.

Are they drawing a distinction between the leak didn't come from the White House but it may very well come from the administration.

Well I think that's in part what they're trying to do but but the president made some other interesting statements there about not purposely releasing classified information let's start with that.

The president of course can declassify.

Anything you want so if he says let's get this story out.

Implicit way he gives.

So that nobody actually leaked anything that was classified I I suppose you can declassify after the fact to.

That's something to take into account -- look these stories.

Paint a picture of -- White House and a president.

So superior to mere mortal man these -- didn't occur accidentally I think congressman -- exactly right that this was a concerted campaign there's little doubt in my mind about that when you.

Are talking about the president having a secret kill list that he personally approves or doesn't approve of terror targets on when you're talking about the United States and the steps that the virus that were using against Iran sources and methods type information.

Ambassador who would know who who is up who are the potential speakers.

Well it's it's a fairly limited number of people who are actually in the room.

With the president there are more people who know but.

But that the real I think dead giveaway here is the laudatory.

Tone of the story comes out take the story about the drones.

First off you've got a president who operates at the level of Roman Catholic just -- theory Thomas -- Thomas -- -- the sits there and then shows his tactical genius by picking the individual targets that the drones are -- -- -- Even years of investigating report -- by the New York Times aren't gonna uncover that that easily this is something that.

Aides to the president whether they are White House employees.

Or employees of other government agencies.

Are putting out really at the at the behest of the administration.

The New York Times described it it before that in that article about the secret catalyst in the -- they described.

That their sources in part.

As I think it was thirteen current or former administration officials does it matter.

-- the American people whether it whether that particular and original leak.

Came from the White House or came from the administration.

That this White House has put in place.

It doesn't make any difference at all I mean that the term administration source is a very.

Important term of art for reporters because it doesn't say.

A State Department official or a Defense Department official or White House official it's just somebody in the administration makes it a lot harder.

To track down in the case of a of a real seriously -- national security information.

Provides the -- -- cover they're all kinds of formulations that are used to me though it's this pattern of revealing.

The the enormous successes of the administration the last performance have there been any stories leaking classified information.

Of administration failures -- so to me that is it's the magnitude of the of the narrative that's being developed that that shows that this is concerned.

The narrative.

May help the president politically.

Is there any question.

That it might be helping the CIA I don't know about the predator -- contribute the individual kill less that the president approves but this other stuff these other Covert ops.

Who else benefits is what you always ask and you're looking at you know who's leaking.

Well you know what their success everybody can take credit Ford and I I think if there really were a pattern of one agency.

Benefiting more than others.

That then you would hear the president come down on them because that would be a leak out of his control something he would be.

More concerned about that's not what you hear it's it's not the president saying these leaks don't occur or or they they are serious it's.

It's offensive to -- offensive.

That -- White House is being accused of it that that has the the mark of the gentlemen protesting too much ambassador Bolton thank you sir.

Thank you.

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