Former national security adviser says the Russia bounty plot shows Trump is 'surrounded by sycophants and weaklings who aren't doing their jobs'

"I don't buy this story that [Trump] was never briefed," Rice, who served as former President Barack Obama's adviser from 20132017, said in an interview with Andrea Mitchell on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"We have a president who is doing our arch-adversary's bidding," Rice said. "And he is surrounded by sycophants and weaklings who aren't doing their jobs."
Russia allegedly paid bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan. The White House has claimed Trump was never briefed on the intelligence, but recent reporting suggests otherwise.
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Former national security adviser Susan Rice on Sunday excoriated the Trump administration over the Russia bounty plot, accusing President Donald Trump of doing "our arch-adversary's bidding."

The former Obama administration adviser rejected the White House's assertion that President Donald Trump was never briefed on the intelligence suggesting Russia was paying bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill US troops in Afghanistan.

"I don't buy this story that [Trump] was never briefed," Rice said in an interview with Andrea Mitchell on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"I believe that over a year ago ... my successor John Bolton would have walked straight into the Oval Office, as I would have, and informed the president of this intelligence," Rice added.

Trump was briefed on the intelligence by Bolton in March 2019, according to a recent Associated Press report , and the intel on the suspected Russian bounty plot was also reportedly included in the president's written daily briefing in late February this year.

The intelligence on the plot was gleaned from interrogations of captured Afghan militants and criminals, according to reporting from The New York Times , which was bolstered by electronic data intercepted by American officials showing large financial transfers between Russia's military intelligence agency and a Taliban-linked account. The White House has not taken any known responses to the alleged Russian plot.

'None of this adds up'

The Trump administration has downplayed the intelligence, rejected reports on the intel as unsubstantiated, and repeatedly said the president was never briefed on it .

Trump has suggested the intelligence is " Fake News ," even though the White House last week said the president has now been "fully briefed" on the matter. The administration has also been briefing members of Congress on the intelligence.

Tom Brenner/Reuters

Trump has garnered a reputation as a president who's averse to details and doesn't pay attention to or read briefings. He's also been accused by critics of behaving in a subservient manner to Russian President Vladimir Putin , and CNN recently reported that Trump's angry reactions to intelligence warnings on Russia led his national security team to brief him less and less on Russia-related threats to the US.

Along these lines, Mitchell on Sunday asked Rice why Trump did not raise the matter with Putin during six phone calls that took place after February 27, when the intelligence was reportedly included in the president's daily written briefing.

"None of this adds up," Rice said. "We have a president who is doing our arch adversary's bidding, it would seem. And he is surrounded by sycophants and weaklings who aren't doing their jobs."

Rice said the president's advisers don't have the confidence to "bring the president the tough messages he needs to hear."