Donald Trump received a piece of written information about intelligence, in February, that indicated the Russians were allegedly offering bounties to Afghan militants to kill American service members. Officials directly associated with the matter have also admitted that the White House knew this much earlier, in 2019.
On June 29, The New York Times published a report stating Trump was given a written briefing in Feb. on alleged Russian bounties offered to Afghan militants to put American service members down. The outlet cited two officials who were involved in the matter.
In addition to that, The Associated Press cited a couple of officials who had knowledge of the matter in its latest report that suggests that the White House was aware of the matter since early 2019. The report claims then-national security advisor John Bolton told his co-workers that he had informed Trump about the matter in Mar. 2019, the AP reported.
Bolton has published a tell-all memoir dubbed, The Room Where It Happened about his experience in the White House. The narrative is teeming with devastating accusations and harsh short stories about the president. There are no prizes for guessing that Trump claims the book is full of lies, and even tried blocking the book’s publication but didn't succeed.
The POTUS and the White House continue to deny that Trump received information about the intelligence assessment regarding the Russian bounties. Moreover, the White House also noted that the intelligence supporting this claim was unverified.
National security advisor Robert O’Brien released a statement on June 29, condemning the leaks and confirming that Trump was not briefed. Citing the allegations in recent press articles, O’Brien said they have not been verified or confirmed by the Intelligence Community, adding that President Trump had not been briefed about the matter.
O’Brien said the Administration, including the National Security Council staff, is gearing up for action if the situation warrants it. In a statement to NBC News, Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said that the Department of Defense is evaluating intelligence that Russian GRU operatives were involved in antagonistic activity against America and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Hoffman pointed out that the recent allegations are not based on corroborating evidence, adding that they take the safety and security of the forces around the world, including in Afghanistan very seriously and ensure they are safe from potential threats. The Times says the investigation is focused on a car bombing that killed three Marines last year.