Top House members attending national security threat briefing amid alarming Turner message: Sullivan

National security adviser Jake Sullivan was caught off guard by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner’s (R-OH) call for President Joe Biden to declassify information regarding what he described as “a serious national security threat.”

“I am a bit surprised that congressman Turner came out publicly today” about the threat, reportedly related to Russia and what one Democrat referred to as “a destabilizing situation,” when Sullivan had proactively reached out to him and other top lawmakers to schedule a classified briefing on Thursday, the presidential adviser told reporters Wednesday.

“That’s his choice,” Sullivan said.

Although Sullivan underscored, more broadly, how Biden would “continue to prioritize and focus very much on the issue of sources and methods,” he also said he was not in a position to say if the public should be alarmed by Turner’s statement.

“That question is impossible to answer with a straight yes,” Sullivan added.

House Intelligence ranking member Jim Himes (D-CT) similarly downplayed the threat, describing it as “significant” but “not a cause for panic.”

“The Intelligence Community reports on threats every day — that’s their job. The classified intelligence product that the House Intelligence Committee called to the attention of Members last night is a significant one, but it is not a cause for panic,” Himes said in a statement. “As to whether more can be declassified about this issue, that is a worthwhile discussion but it is not a discussion to be had in public.”

Turner created a cause for concern when he shared a press release Wednesday with his call after his committee “made available to all members of Congress” information about the threat.

“I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat,” Turner wrote.

Sullivan also was asked whether the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act should be reformed to require a “warrant for every query of lawfully collected data.”

“We do not believe that that serves the national security interests of the United States,” Sullivan said.

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Sullivan additionally sidestepped questions about Biden’s campaign starting a TikTok account last weekend despite national security concerns with respect to the Chinese-owned application.

“I’m not gonna deal with campaign questions,” Sullivan said.