National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster warned all government agencies and departments, not just security agencies, against leaking even unclassified information. The September 8 memo asks that all parties hold a one-hour session on unauthorized disclosures and marks a departure from the practices of the Obama administration in extending the type of information and those under scrutiny. (BuzzFeed, September 13, 2017, by Chris Geidner)
Writing in Vox, September 14, 2017, Matthew Yglesias notes the leaks are part of the Trump administration’s enduring modus operandi in that rather than study policy and briefs from his team, Trump relies on cable news and newspapers for information. To get Trump’s attention, staff resorts to leaks to the media.