President Donald Trump disrespected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats by leaving them in the dark about launching the raid that resulted in the death of fugitive Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Sen. Chris Coons said Monday.
"To disrespect the Speaker of the House, who is in the direct line of succession to the president, and to not inform bipartisan leaders in Congress, to only inform a few Republicans, I think was just one more important norm of cooperation shattered by this president."the Delaware Democrat told CNN's New Day."
He added that there is a "long tradition" of the president telling leaders in both parties when there is a sensitive operation taking place.
On Sunday, Trump said he didn't tell Democratic leaders about the raid because he was concerned that the news would be leaked, drawing criticism from Pelosi that the president told Russia about his plans before he told lawmakers.
"I think the president should have the trust and confidence in our leaders in Congress to know that they would not have leaked sensitive details, certainly after the event," Coons commented. He also said he thinks Trump shared a "disturbing" amount of detail in his announcement about the raid.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who was also on CNN's "New Day," Monday, said she believes the congressional "Group of Eight" should have been informed so that there was a "bipartisan approach to understanding that our military is doing."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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