The CIA knew. The State Department knew. Senior congressional officials and the British government were briefed.
So how could it be that nobody told the president?
White House officials offered a new wrinkle Wednesday in their explanation of why President Donald Trump wasn't informed about intelligence collected earlier this year suggesting the Russians were paying the Taliban to kill Americans — even though officials in both the U.S. and the U.K. were aware of the reporting.
It was the decision of the president's intelligence briefer, White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said on Fox and Friends.
The briefer, a career CIA analyst, "decided not to brief him because it was unverified intelligence," O'Brien said on Fox News. "And, by the way, she is an outstanding officer, and, knowing all the facts I know, I certainly support her decision."
