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President Trump has not been known to quietly brood about government officials who leak confidential information to the media.

He's thumbed out splenetic tweets and worn out microphones calling for the arrest of whoever's leaking information about his administration.

On Monday, Reality Winner became the first alleged leaker prosecutedduring Trump's presidency. She's accused of leaking a classified U.S. intelligence document to the Intercept.

Trump is far from matching the total number of leak arrests of President Barack Obama who rarely talked publicly about leakers until subpoenas were dropped and arrests were made.

What's the key difference between how Obama and Trump have gone after leakers?

Experts onexecutive-branch leaks say it's too early to gauge Trump's legacy. Butmuch has been made about the Obama administration's hunt for leakers. Of the 13 people who have been prosecuted under the Espionage Act for leaking secrets, eightwere arrested under Obama's administration, according to Alexandra Ellerbeck, senior Americas and U.S. researcher with the Committee to Protect Journalists.

And prosecutors under Obama have spied on journalists and named a journalist an unindicted co-conspirator, according to the New York Times. Ellerbeck said that's just a step away from arresting a reporter for writing a story and raises dangerous constitutional issues about freedom of the press.

But Obama, who ran on a platform of open and transparent government, has defended the arrest of suspected leakers, saying his administration had gone after a really small sample.

Some of them are serious, where you had purposeful leaks of information that could harm or threaten operations or individuals who were in the field involved with really sensitive national security issues,Obama said in an interview with the Rutgers University student newspaper.

[Trump says he wants to find the LEAKERS. The Internet is here to help.]

Trump, on the other hand, has publicly shown less verbal restraint, stressing the need to find the leakers.

Those tweets came during a two-week stretch of leaks to the press, according to The Washington Post's Callum Borchers, who catalogued nine of them.

Obama was furious over leaks, but his fury was directed internally, said David Pozen, a constitutional law professor at Columbia University who specializes in national security law.

What distinguishes Trump is that he is directing his [anger] to the public. What is the point of complaining about leaks in a public tweet? He can call up the attorney general at any moment of the day or night. Hes the chief executive and he has powerful investigative tools at his disposal. Twitter is not one of the tools.

Why were so many alleged leakers arrested under Obama?

Steven Aftergood, who directs the Federation of American Scientists' project on government secrecy, told The Post that investigators under Obama had a technological edge over leakers.

Historically, leaking government secrets has been a hard crime to prove and to prosecute, he said. What has happened in the last couple of decades is that contacts between leakers and the press are easier than ever to trace because of the electronic footprints that are left by their communication.

[Trump seems powerless to stop leaks]

Politics also played into Obama's decision to go after leakers, Pozen said. George W. Bush, Obama's predecessor, had been accused of politicizing leak investigations, a claim Obama wanted to avoid.

Obama was really wanting to put a wall between himself and his investigating agencies, Pozen said. And so left to their own devices, you got this uptick. And it wasnt until the end of the Obama first term that you saw the president kind of rein them in.

How have leak arrests affected the country?

For Obama, arresting actual leakers dampened people's desire to disclose confidential information.

Mark Mazzetti, an investigative reporter who covers national security for the New York Times,talked to The Post's Greg Sargentabout the effect of Obama's leak investigations.

Theres no question that this has a chilling effect, Mazzetti told Sargent in 2013. People who have talked in the past are less willing to talk now. Everyone is worried about communication and how to communicate, and is there any method of communication that is not being monitored. Its got people on both sides the reporter and source side pretty concerned.

It certainly seems like theyre being very serious about hunting down people talking to reporters.

Trump's approach to leaks has had the opposite effect, experts say.

In 2017, Politico's Jack Shafer wrote, Trump has found it nearly impossible to plug leaks.

As Trump shuts down White House access to reporters, they will infest the departments and agencies around town that the president has peeved. The intelligence establishment, which Trump has deprecated over the issue of Russian hacking, owes him no favors and less respect. It will be in their institutional interest to leak damaging material on Trump.

What effect do leaker arrests under Obama have on Trump's administration?

Investigators under Obama didn't arrest an alleged leaker until he'd been president for nearly a year. Trump's administration arrested someone five months in, moving at about double the pace.

What's more, Pozen said, investigators have the technological tools and political green light to continue to be aggressive about leakers.

There's no sign that Trump will ask them to slow down, Ellerbeck said.

Trump seems to delight in making these accusations about prosecuting leakers. And the rhetoric extends to journalists.Hes tweeted at least a dozen times saying that hes going after journalists.

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Read more:
Trump rages about leakers. Obama quietly prosecuted them. - Washington Post

In a rare post-presidency speech, delivered before the Montreal Chamber of Commerce, Obama called on people, in the face of uncertainty, to stand by some of the very post-World War II economic and political institutions Trump has repeatedly called into question.

"In periods like this, people looking for control and certainty -- it's inevitable," Obama told the Canadian audience. "But it is important to remember that the world has gone through similar moments. ... Our history also shows there is a better way."

He said people should overcome fear and not listen to those who "call for isolation or nationalism" and those who "suggest rolling back the rights of others."

Obama's comments set a different tone than Trump, who campaigned on an "America First" message and has called Americanism his "credo."

"We're also bound by the institutions that we built to keep the peace," Obama said, referring to the UN, NATO and NAFTA.

Obama said that everyday people who felt left behind by government and a changing world could find authoritarians alluring. He said people who felt at a loss with the democratic process could "try anything," but that liberal values would win out over time.

"I am convinced that the future does not belong to strongmen," Obama said.

Without mentioning Trump, Obama spoke about the importance of wealthy nations investing in development abroad.

"We're going to have to summon the same capacity to adapt to new circumstances that we saw after World War II," Obama said. "We're going to have to replace fear with hope. That's the spirit that we need right now."

Obama repeatedly touched on the threat of climate change and Trump's decision last week to initiate the US' withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed," Obama said.

Still, he tried to make the case that the agreement could be effective, regardless of Trump's decision, calling the accords "an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership, will still give our children a fighting chance."

He commended state and local leaders who have pledged to push for clean energy and combat climate change.

"They will keep pushing forward for the sake of future generations," Obama said.

Since leaving office, Obama and his wife Michelle spent a significant amount of time off-radar and out of country.

At the Montreal event, just as he made a case for the post-World War II international order and his own legacy, Obama argued for increased civic engagement and the spread of democratic values. He said low-civic engagement and a lack of belief in the average person's ability to affect change in government weaken democratic institutions and are responsible for the advance of "reactionary" politicians.

Obama pledged to work on increasing democratic participation for the rest of his post-presidential life.

"The focus for the rest of my time on this Earth -- in addition to enjoying my children and, in a distant future, grandchildren -- will be active citizenship in the United States and around the world," Obama said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted Tuesday evening that he met with Obama in Montreal.

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In Montreal speech, Obama warns about appeal of authoritarianism - CNN

By Pete Marovich/Bloomberg/Getty Images.

A major part of Michelle Obamas legacy as First Lady will be her style. Whether she was at a state dinner, on the campaign trail, or out in the White House garden, the world tracked what she was wearing, and more often than not, fawned over it. Her husbands fashion choices, however, will most likely be forgotten (unless were talking about that tan suit. According to her, Barack Obama got away with a lot when it came to how he dressed, namely, wearing the same tuxedo for years during his presidency.

This is the unfair thing. You talk about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers . . . no matter what we do, he puts on that same tux, she told the crowd at Apples developers conference in San Jose. People take photos of the shoes I wear, the bracelets, the necklacethey didnt comment [on] that for eight years. He wore that same tux . . . same shoes. And he was proud of it, too. He was like, Im ready! Im ready in 10 minutes. How long did it take you?

While no one commented on Obamas tendency to repeat outfits, Michelle Obama made headlines when she did. Many praised her style whether she was re-wearing clothing or wearing custom gowns, but the pressure was always on her to wear the right thing at the right time. She faced criticism when she didnt wear a designer from the home country of a visiting world leader and when she wore J.Crew to meet Queen Elizabeth in 2009, to which Oscar de la Renta commented, You dont go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.

Double standards aside, Michelle Obama used her wardrobe to make political statements and encourage diplomacy and left the White House as a fashion icon. Barack Obama is just now transitioning out of dad jeans.

At the 2009 state dinner for India wearing Naeem Khan.

At the 2010 state dinner for Mexico wearing Peter Soronen.

At the 2011 state dinner for China wearing Alexander McQueen.

At the 2011 state dinner for Germany wearing Naeem Khan.

At the 2016 state dinner for Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden wearing Naeem Khan.

At the 2016 state dinner for Singapore wearing Brandon Maxwell.

At the 2016 last state dinner for Italy wearing Versace.

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At the 2009 state dinner for India wearing Naeem Khan.

By Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images.

At the 2010 state dinner for Mexico wearing Peter Soronen.

By Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

At the 2011 state dinner for China wearing Alexander McQueen.

From Corbis/Getty Images.

At the 2011 state dinner for Germany wearing Naeem Khan.

Left, from Corbis, right, by Saul Loeb/AFP, both from Getty Images.

At the 2011 state dinner for South Korea wearing Doo.Ri.

By Jonathan Ernst/Reuters.

At the 2012 state dinner for the U.K. wearing Marchesa.

From Bloomberg/Getty Images.

At the 2014 state dinner for France wearing Carolina Herrera.

By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

At the 2015 state dinner for Japan wearing Tadashi Shoji.

By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.

At the 2015 state dinner for China wearing Vera Wang.

By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

At the 2016 state dinner for Canada wearing Jason Wu.

By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.

At the 2016 state dinner for Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden wearing Naeem Khan.

By Pablo Martinez/A.P. Images.

At the 2016 state dinner for Singapore wearing Brandon Maxwell.

Left, from Nurphoto, right, from Bloomberg, both from Getty Images.

At the 2016 last state dinner for Italy wearing Versace.

From A.P. Images.

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Michelle Obama Calls out Barack's Outfit-Repeating - Vanity Fair

Neither former President Barack Obama nor any member of his cabinet warned state election officials of any Russian effort to hack or interfere with the countrys electoral systems, according to the president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

We did ask, Denise Merrill, Connecticut secretary of state and the associations top official, told The Daily Caller News Foundations Investigative Group Wednesday.

And over-and-over again, they did say there was no credible threat that they had found. And they said that right through the election, and the next administration reiterated that. Over and over again when we asked, we were told there was no actual threat that they knew of, Merrill said.

Asked if there were any private briefings for state election officials on possible Russian interference prior to the November 2016 voting, Merrill said, No. We were not briefed on any of that. We were not told in advance.

Merrill also claimed the administration failed to take state officials aside about a potential or real Russian threat to election machinery.

Thats right, because I dont really think there was one, she said.

Merrill is a Democrat who previously served as majority leader in the Connecticut House of Representatives. In addition to serving as president of the association representing all of her fellow secretaries of state, she also is co-chairman of the groups Election Cybersecurity Task Force.

Obamas former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson seemed to confirm Merrills comments. He was quoted Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press in an NBCtweetsaying Fmr DHS Sec. Jeh Johnson says there was no altering of voter counts in 2016 election. I know of no such evidence.'

Merrills comments contradict an unsigned top-secret National Security Agencydocumentthat was pilfered by Reality Winner, a 25-year old private-sector contract employee.

Winner gave the classified document to The Intercept, a three-year-old news site created by Pierre Omidyar, a close friend of President Bill Clinton. Omidyars wife Pamela donated $1 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Federal agents arrested Winner June 3 in her home in Georgia and chargedher under the Espionage Act for leaking classified information to a news outlet. She is currently in federal detention and is scheduled to have a federal court hearing Thursday.

Winner had worked for three months for the Alexandria, Va.-based Pluribus International Corporation. The company is under contract to the Army Intelligence and Security Command, which operates within the Army and NSA.

Winner was a harsh critic of President Donald Trump and publicly said she would stand with Iran in a hypothetical war with the U.S., according to a news report by Business Insider.

I think its unfortunate these reports are being leaked, Merrill told TheDCNF.

Col. Jim Waurishuk (Ret.), a former senior intelligence official who spent 30 years in the field, told TheDCNF the NSA document Winner released was an extremely high-level classified Top Secret Special Intelligence document, which is originator controlled, meaning the NSA has total control of this document. They determine who it gets disseminated to and it cannot be further disseminated unless its approved by the NSA.

Waurishuk, who is vice president of OPSEC, a nonprofit association of former Special Forces and intelligence officials, was asked by TheDCNF to review the document.

This document has nothing to do with affecting the election or with ballots, he said. It has nothing to do with the outcome of the election. This is merely a foreign signals intercept by U.S. intelligence officials.

The Russians were basically going to the office computers of a private company that served election organizations. Their malware went there, not to election balloting machinery. They were hoping office workers might be lured into a phishing effort, Waurishuk said.

The NSA document stated the limited incursion to penetrate the office computers failed. Three of the malicious emails were rejected by the email server which targeted a Tallahassee company called VR systems, according to the NSA document.

It is unknown whether the aforementioned spear-phishing deployment successfully compromised the intended victims, the NSA document concluded.

There is no evidence that this (hacking) has happened, Merrill told TheDCNF. This is the most important point, I think. Yes, there is strong speculation here, but nothing has actually happened.

Merrill believes stories like that in The Intercept weaken public trust in the integrity of our state and local election systems.

These kind of stories make the public think there should be a lack of trust in their elections. And that shouldnt be the case. This is the most destructive thing about this, she told TheDCNF.

Election tallying and tabulation systems in all 50 states work offline and are not connected to the Internet. They are managed by people, not machines, Merrill said.

Everything has paper backup, she told TheDCNF. Most states have paper ballots that you vote on. There is always a paper backup of the voter registration lists.

The NSA intelligence document suggested the Russians sought to hack VR Systems in Florida and could have had an impact on Florida election systems.

But the state doesnt rely on any machines. Its election system is paper based.

All voting in Florida is done on paper ballots so we can always refer to the original record, explained Sarah Revell, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of State in a statement to TheDCNF. Additionally, voting machines are not connected to the internet, she stated.

Revell said Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner participated in a September 2016 informational call with the FBI on the need to maintain security.

But there was no indication of a Florida-specific issue, she stated. Reveal added the FBI did not provide any information specific to VR Systems.

Florida had a smooth and secure election in 2016, Revell said.

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EXCLUSIVE: Obama Never Warned State Election Officials Of Russian Election 'Hacking' - The Daily Caller

Barack Obama may no longer be the president, but that's hasn't put a damper on his "bromance" with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

While in Montreal Tuesday for a speaking engagement organized by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Obama had dinner with Trudeau.

"Tonight in Montreal, @BarackObama and @JustinTrudeau discussed their shared commitment to developing the next generation of leaders," the Obama Foundation tweeted.

And Montreal-born Trudeau, tweeted, "How do we get young leaders to take action in their communities? Thanks @BarackObama for your visit & insights tonight in my hometown."

The pair had dinner at Liverpool House in Montreal's Little Burgundy neighborhood after the former commander in chief gave a speech at the city's Palais des congrs. "Seaside cottage charm and bustling oyster counter," reads the restaurant's description on its website. "Sexy Old World wines, and crazy fresh market food. A great club house feel."

During his speech, Obama addressed the Paris Accord, saying it still has a chance despite the "temporary absence of American leadership." It was an obvious reference to President Trump announcing the U.S. is pulling out of the agreement. U.S. states, cities, corporations and others have decided to carry on with the Paris commitments.

"Obviously I'm disappointed with the current American administration decision to put out of Paris," Obama said. "We're going to have to act with more urgency. I'm looking forward to the United States being a leader and not just on the sidelines going forward."

Continued here:
Obama, Trudeau have dinner in Montreal, discuss 'developing ...