Pelosi Claims ‘Leak,’ White House Calls That a Flat-Out Lie

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused President Donald Trump and an unnamed member of the Trump administration on Friday of endangering members of her congressional delegation, American troops, and ordinary travelers by “leaking” plans to fly commercially to Afghanistan.

“In the middle of the night, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provided an updated threat assessment detailing that the president announcing this sensitive travel had significantly increased the danger to the delegation and to the troops, security, and other officials supporting the trip,” Pelosi’s spokesman Drew Hammill declared in a press release.

“This morning, we learned that the administration had leaked the commercial travel plans as well,” he continued.

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But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders had something to say about that.

“To make that type of accusation, it is outrageous — that she would accuse the president of the United States of putting any life in jeopardy,” said Sanders, denying that the alleged “leak” of commercial flight information came from the commander-in-chief. “In fact, the reason he didn’t want her to go it because he’s trying to protect American citizens.”

“Nancy Pelosi’s number-one responsibility is to the American people, and it’s to keep our citizens safe,” said Boston Herald columnist and radio host Adriana Cohen on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Friday night.

“It is not the time for her to be jetting off overseas during a government shutdown when 800,000 American workers are not getting paid,” Cohen added. “She should be securing the border, stopping drugs from coming in.”

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Democratic strategist Scott Levenson, also a guest on the show, had another view of Trump and repeatedly interrupted Cohen during the segment: “He has a habit of misstating, of speaking off the cuff in ways that endanger Americans.”

Related: Trump Accused of Endangering Troops by Revealing the Dems’ Overseas Trip

Guest host David Webb, who shared his personal experience and familiarity with military and commercial air travel, said, “When you book that many commercial flights … It is public knowledge. There’s nothing to leak.”

“This is not information that’s being hidden or secure when you book that many commercial [flights],” he added.

A “person close to the White House called The Washington Post on Friday morning to alert a reporter to Pelosi’s travel plans, speaking on the condition of anonymity,” The Post reported.

Pelosi told a media scrum at the Capitol they were scrapping the trip based on the State Department’s advice that flying commercial would be too dangerous, CNN reported.

A report “from Afghanistan,” Pelosi said, indicated that “the president outing our trip had made the scene on the ground much more dangerous because it’s just a signal to the bad actors.” She added that Trump’s publicly announced revocation of military resources for the trip endangered members of Congress as well as American troops.

Trump revoked Pelosi’s access to military aircraft on Thursday — and when word reached the bus that was carrying members of the delegation to Joint Base Andrews for the presumed start of their trip, the Air Force-operated motor coach drove the delegation back to the capitol.

Sarah Sanders provided a copy of the letter via tweet (see below).

President @realDonaldTrump’s letter to @SpeakerPelosi concerning her upcoming travel pic.twitter.com/TtBCvwp080

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 17, 2019

“Why would Nancy Pelosi leave the country with other Democrats on a seven-day excursion when 800,000 great people are not getting paid. Also, could somebody please explain to Nancy & her ‘big donors’ in wine country that people working on farms (grapes) will have easy access in!” Trump tweeted Friday.

Good. It is about time they suffered some inconvenience for their actions.

— William Richards (@Wrichards2) January 19, 2019

@SpeakerPelosi represents what’s worst about politics in Washington. She’s disingenuous and could care less about our national security and the thousands of people victimized by illegals in this country. https://t.co/AazX6wDMxQ

— Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) January 19, 2019

Trump’s President… & she’s not. Go negotiate, Nancy!!

— Summer (@sunnynodak) January 19, 2019

Michele Blood is a Flemington, New Jersey-based freelance writer and regular contributor to LifeZette.