Controversy arose with the release of the McMaster letter granting Susan Rice access to classified information in the "national interest".
McMaster sent a letter to Obama’s former National Security Adviser assuring her that the NSC would work with her to “allow you access to classified information.” He claimed that her access to classified information is "consistent with the national security interests of the United States."
And, McMaster supposedly believes that Susan Rice did nothing wrong in the unmasking gate.
National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has concluded that Rice did nothing wrong, according to two U.S. intelligence officials who spoke to me on condition of anonymity.
And Rice had urged McMaster to conduct an NSC purge. That is what McMaster appears to be doing.
Former Obama national security adviser Susan E. Rice on Monday urged her new counterpart in the Trump White House, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, to get rid of a national security wing led by presidential strategist Stephen Bannon.
“Hope you will be able to choose your team, have direct reporting and daily access to POTUS, and can eliminate Strategic Initiatives Group,” Ms. Rice wrote in a congratulatory note to Lt. Gen. McMaster on Twitter.
Now Susan Rice is refusing to deny ongoing contacts with McMaster while defending him.
Former national security adviser Susan Rice defended her successor, H.R. McMaster, on Thursday from "unfair" attacks from the right over his decision to renew security clearances for Rice and other Obama administration officials.
Rice wouldn't say whether she has been in contact with McMaster since he was named Trump's national security adviser in February.
"I think I would rather not answer that," Rice said. "I think — let us just say, it is customary for sitting national security advisers, I know from my own experience, to be in touch with predecessors to understand what challenges and issues they wrestled with and what options they considered."
Last week, it was reported that McMaster had concluded that Rice had done nothing wrong in regards to revealing the identities of Trump associates whose voices had been picked up in intelligence intercepts.
McMaster appears to have far more in common with Rice than he does with Trump. If President Trump believes that Susan Rice and other Obama people were eavesdropping on him, then he should ask which side of this is McMaster on? And can he afford to have top people in the administration siding with those who are trying to force him out of office?
According to reports, McMaster fired some NSC people for having private meetings with Bannon. Shouldn't he be held to the same standard when he's meeting with a member of the enemy camp?