WASHINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Some Republicans in U.S. Congress are beginning to distance themselves from President Donald Trump amid allegations that he shared intel with Russia, sparking speculation that more Republican lawmakers may follow.
The Washington Post on Monday sparked a firestorm when it revealed that Trump shared sensitive intel with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during a White House meeting last week. This is the latest in a string of allegations that the Trump administration is in bed with Russia - which the president vehemently denies.
U.S. conservative media has noted that U.S. presidents have broad legal authority to classify or declassify any intel they want to. Some pundits also note that the Post story failed to disclose just how senior its sources are and whether the sources really have a grasp on what a president is permitted and not permitted to do.
The Post story also has been accused of editorializing instead of simply reporting facts. Observers also note that the White House routinely shared intel with other countries.
But there's more to the scandal. At the same time, Trump is under scrutiny for allegedly asking James Comey, former FBI director just fired by Trump, to halt an investigation into the relations between former Trump's national security adviser Mike Flynn and Russia.
Critics said Trump fired Comey as an effort to prevent embarrassing information from getting out. Trump has also strongly denied the accusations.
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