One of the stranger exchanges at last night’s debate was when Senator Marco Rubio kind of insinuated that Senator Ted Cruz revealed classified information while the two were discussing the different ways U.S. intelligence agencies collect information on terrorists:
Cruz says new metadata program covers 100% of phone numbers in USA, unlike old program.
Rubio backs off, saying info is classified.
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) December 16, 2015
Rubio to Cruz: I don't think national television is the right place to discuss classified information #GOPDebate
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) December 16, 2015
Cruz calls Rubio a liar. Rubio says the truth is classified.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) December 16, 2015
Now we’re seeing reports that Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence, has asked his staff to look into what Cruz said:
Sen Intel Chair Burr says he asked staff to review Ted Cruz's comments from debate to see if he released classified info -h/t @tedbarrettcnn
— Deirdre Walsh (@deirdrewalshcnn) December 16, 2015
Burr says staff looking into possibility Cruz released classified info during last night's debate
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) December 16, 2015
The question pertains to this interaction at the #GOPDebate last night between Cruz and Rubio: pic.twitter.com/Q5Ha3C49xF
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorpNBC) December 16, 2015
Burr didn’t watch the debate himself because it was the season finale of “The Voice”:
Burr has asked staff to look into whether Cruz disclosed classified info last night. Burr didn't watch #GOPDebate ("The Voice was on")
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) December 16, 2015
Asked if he heard what Cruz said, Burr said, "No, I didn't watch (the #GOPDebate), 'The Voice' was on, it was the final episode."
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorpNBC) December 16, 2015
Sen Burr said he did not actually see the exchange in question with Cruz last night. "The Voice was on, it was the final episode," he said.
— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) December 16, 2015
Can’t make this stuff up.
Update. Senator Burr’s office released a statement yesterday saying the Senate Intel Committee “is not investigating anything said during last night’s Republican presidential debate“:
Richard Burr: Intel panel isn’t investigating Ted Cruz’s NSA comments #GOPDebatehttps://t.co/9L95AER6hP pic.twitter.com/D1qPKfz67Z
— Charlotte Observer (@theobserver) December 17, 2015
Burr's staff who admitted this afternoon what Cruz said was from the Washington Post and he wasn't first to dicuss. https://t.co/vi4jpIerMA
— Sen. Frank Niceley (@SenFrankNiceley) December 17, 2015
Source familiar says there never any investigation into Cruz comments and Burr's quips just blown out of proportion https://t.co/G2oMfiJPCi
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) December 16, 2015
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