Idaho GOP Sen. Jim Risch, an attorney, issued the following statement on the Washington Post report that President Donald Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week:

“While details of the Washington Post article are still emerging, President Trump, as the Commander in Chief of the United States, has the sole ability to declassify any information, at any time, and without any specific process. If the President perceives it is in the national security interest of our country to do so, then he has a duty to declassify and disclose information. This is a responsibility the head of the Executive Branch is entrusted with.”

In earlier comments to Washington, D.C. reporters, Risch defended Trump, saying, “The minute the president speaks about it to someone, he has the ability to declassify anything at any time without any process.”