National security

Trump’s baffling national security overhaul lets military, intel leaders attend ‘anytime they want’

White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus pushed back Sunday against claims that the nation’s top military and intelligence leaders are barred from participating in the National Security Council.

President Trump confounded the national security and intelligence communities Saturday by issuing an executive order overhauling the makeup of the council.

As part of that order, Mr. Trump wrote that Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Michael Dempsey, acting director of national intelligence, would attend council meetings “as needed.”

During a heated exchange with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mr. Priebus said the clause is not an attempt to remove Gen. Dunford or Mr. Dempsey from the council.

“They’re invited to be attendees of the Security Council at any time that they want to,” Mr. Preibus said during an interview on “Meet the Press.”