Donald Trump's advisers repeatedly interrupted intelligence officials providing a briefing to the Republican nominee on Aug. 17, until New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie intervened, sources told NBC News.
The Aug. 17 briefing is attracting new attention after Trump said at NBC's Command-in-Chief Forum that he divined that intelligence officials were "not happy" with President Obama based on their "body language."
A U.S. official pointed out that intelligence officers don't give policy advice, so it would be inaccurate to say that Obama failed to follow the advice of the intelligence community. A second U.S. official said analysts are trained not to allow their body language to betray their thinking.
Four people with knowledge of the matter told NBC News that one of the advisers at the meeting, retired general Mike Flynn, repeatedly interrupted the briefing with pointed questions.
Two sources said Christie verbally restrained Flynn. Two other sources said Christie touched Flynn's arm in an effort get him to calm down. Requests for comment from Flynn and Christie were not immediately returned.
