Former Defense Secretary William Cohen went after Donald Trump for the “rapid dissolution of democracy under his hands” after reports indicated the former president shared sensitive information about the country’s nuclear submarine program with an Australian billionaire at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
Cohen, a Republican who served in President Bill Clinton’s administration, said the reports are “not surprising” and ripped Trump’s history with national security interests during an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Thursday.
Advertisement
“He’s given away secrets in the past ― will do so in the future. In this case here, he’s being given the benefit of the doubt ― how much more evidence do we need of his misbehavior in terms of attacking our institution?” Cohen asked.
“The military, he thinks those who give life and limb for service to the country, are ‘losers’ and ’suckers.’ He’s throwing the intelligence community under the bus in Helsinki. Everything he has done has been to undermine respect for this country of ours,” he added.
Cohen’s comments come as special counsel Jack Smith’s team has continued its investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents.
Sources told ABC News that the billionaire ― Anthony Pratt ― filled in “at least 45” people on what Trump spilled to him.
Advertisement
“This is just one more example why we should never allow, never vote, to allow him to get his hands on classified information in the future,” Cohen argued. “He shouldn’t be anywhere near the Oval Office ever.”
Cohen, elsewhere in the interview, warned of the dangers of sharing sensitive information before noting that ― out of the triad ― the submarine “is the one that is most secure for us because it’s not targetable.”
“A preemptive target can’t go after subs. They can go after airplanes; they can go after land-based missiles but not the subs,” he added.
“So they’re special,” he continued, “and he’s giving away special information on what is protecting us around the world.”
Advertisement
