Bailey VogtThe Trump administration said Congress will no longer receive in-person briefings on election security.
President Trump said Saturday during a press conference that National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe made the decision — attributing it to members "leaking" the information to the public.
The president said: "Director Ratcliffe brought information into the committee and the information leaked ... And what's even worse, they leak the wrong information. And he got tired of it. So he wants to do it in a different forum."
The president did not provide evidence to back up these claims.
House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff slammed the decision in an interview with CNN Sunday, suggesting the president is trying to hide help from foreign governments he may be receiving in his bid to hold onto the White House.
Schiff added House Democrats may subpoena intelligence officials as a response.
Schiff said: "This intelligence paid for by taxpayers doesn't belong to Donald Trump, it doesn't belong to the intelligence agencies, it belongs to the American people. The agencies are merely the custodians of that information."
Ratcliffe's office said paper briefings will still be provided. However, Schiff called the measure inadequate, saying in-person briefings allow lawmakers to better scrutinize the information provided with their own research.
The intelligence community's top election official released a statement last month warning that Russia, China and Iran were all attempting to intervene in November's upcoming presidential race.
