National Security Council says journalists have 'no business' reporting on leaked Pentagon intel

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says stories about the apparent leaked Pentagon intelligence documents have "no business" being published.

"Without confirming the validity of the documents, this is information that has no business in the public domain," Kirby told reporter Monday at a White House press briefing. "It has no business, if you don’t mind me saying, on the pages of — front-pages of newspapers or on television. It is not intended for public consumption, and it should not be out there."

Kirby also said that the government is working to determine the validity of the documents that have been published on social media since last month. The leak may be the largest breach of classified intelligence materials since former National Security Agency contractor and accused U.S. spy Edward Snowden published highly sensitive information in 2013.

"Disclosure of sensitive classified material can have tremendous implications not only for our national security, but could lead to people losing their lives," Defense Department spokesman Chris Meagher warned Monday at a press briefing.

The leaks largely deal with Russia's war in Ukraine.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.