--- title: H.R. McMaster: Trump's Talk With Russians Was Appropriate description: National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Tuesday that President Trump's conversation with Russian diplomats was "wholly appropriate." canonical: https://time.com/4780973/donald-trump-russia-leaks-hr-mcmaster/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-05-16T17:01:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:02:42.081Z article:section: Politics og:title: National Security Advisor: Trump's Conversation With Russians Was 'Wholly Appropriate' og:description: It was "wholly appropriate given the purpose of that conversation." og:url: https://time.com/4780973/donald-trump-russia-leaks-hr-mcmaster/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0ea98130dc2acbb/6988cd7b97cdff2eff6b0b95/trump-mcmaster.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: trump-mcmaster og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: National Security Advisor: Trump's Conversation With Russians Was 'Wholly Appropriate' twitter:description: It was "wholly appropriate given the purpose of that conversation." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0ea98130dc2acbb/6988cd7b97cdff2eff6b0b95/trump-mcmaster.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # National Security Advisor: Trump's Conversation With Russians Was 'Wholly Appropriate' > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=c1985027-97a2-4d7a-8b34-e3a38008da0d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: National Security Advisor: Trump's Conversation With Russians Was 'Wholly Appropriate' [Watch (HLS stream): National Security Advisor: Trump's Conversation With Russians Was 'Wholly Appropriate'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/11F9Ngb3.m3u8) (0:46)  _Published 2017-05-16. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster said Tuesday that President Trump's conversation with Russian diplomats about classified information was "wholly appropriate."_ by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller May 16, 2017 5:01 PM UTC by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller May 16, 2017 5:01 PM UTC National Security Advisor [H.R. McMaster](http://time.com/4676669/donald-trump-general-hr-mcmaster-national-security-adviser/) said Tuesday that President Trump’s [conversation with Russian diplomats](http://time.com/4779986/donald-trump-russia-classified-information-isis/) about classified information was “wholly appropriate.” It marked the latest effort by the White House to rebut [a bombshell Washington _Post_ report](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-revealed-highly-classified-information-to-russian-foreign-minister-and-ambassador/2017/05/15/530c172a-3960-11e7-9e48-c4f199710b69%5Fstory.html) that Trump allegedly shared highly classified information with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in [an Oval Office meeting](http://time.com/4773479/trump-lavrov-james-comey-russia/) last week. McMaster didn’t dispute that Trump shared information, but called it “wholly appropriate given the purpose of that conversation.” The Post reported that Trump passed along intelligence given to the U.S. by a foreign partner in the fight against ISIS without that ally’s permission. McMaster confirmed that Trump discussed a specific city with the Russia diplomats—which intelligence officials said they feared would trace back the sourcing of the intelligence. McMaster confirmed a key element of the _Post_ report, that Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert reached out to the CIA and National Security Agency after learning of Trump’s conversation to give them a heads up that the sensitive information was discussed. McMaster said Bossert’s calls came “maybe from an overabundance of caution.” Speaking from the White House briefing room, McMaster criticized the leakers in the story, saying “I think national security is put at risk by this leak and leaks like this.” McMaster, who issued a statement Monday afternoon denying that Trump discussed sources and methods, and sensitive military operations with the Russians, said he issued that statement because of the nature of the report. “The story combined what was leaked with other information and then insinuated about sources and methods,” McMaster said. McMaster abruptly concluded the briefing saying that Trump couldn’t have revealed sources and methods. “The President wasn’t even aware where this information came from,” the national security advisor said. “He wasn’t briefed on the sources and methods.” ## Transcript What we don't do is discuss what is and what wasn't classified. What I will tell you is in the context of that, that discussion what the President discussed with the foreign minister was wholly appropriate to that conversation and is consistent with the routine sharing of information between the President and any leaders with whom he's engaged. I was in the room The [ UNKNOWN ] state was in the room if you know. The Deputy Assistant, the Deputy Advisor for National Security, Dena [ UNKNOWN ] strategy was in the room and none of use felt in any way that that conversation was inappropriate. The President in no way Compromise any sources or methods in the course of this conversation. The president wasn't even aware of where this information came from. 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