“It
could not be clearer that Trump treats the intelligence community
like a textbook abuser: They’re only as good as his mood that day
or his selfish interests.”
– Jessica
Tarlov, Senior Political Consultant, Schoen Consulting
President Donald Trump on
Friday, February 21, 2020, mocked reports the intelligence community
has concluded Russia is interfering in the 2020 campaign to try to
get him reelected, saying Democrats are trying to "start a
rumor." At one of his "Keep America Great" rallies in
Las Vegas, Trump said …
"I was told a week
ago -- they said, 'you know they're trying to start a rumor. It's
disinformation – that's the only thing they're good at, they're
not good at anything else, the get-nothing, the do-nothing Democrats
– that Putin wants to make sure I get elected.”
The critical post made by
the intelligence community (IC) represents the country’s top-ranked
intelligence official, with a range of responsibilities including the
production of the Presidential Daily Brief, a top secret document
summarizing the nation’s top intelligence threats. In Trump’s
1128 days in office, the White House has publicly advised of less
than 300 of those formal briefings, although the president receives
more frequent intelligence updates as dictated by world events.
Note – Member
organizations of the IC include intelligence agencies, military
intelligence, and civilian intelligence and analysis offices within
federal executive departments. The IC is overseen by the Office of
the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which itself is headed
by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), who reports to the
President of the United States.
Trump praises the
intelligence community when he believes they issue a report that
benefits him and trashes them when he thinks the information is
personally detrimental. As he puts his schizophrenic relationship
with them on full display, he repeatedly sides with adversaries, a
troubling trend that actually began even before Trump was sworn to
office.
U.S. intelligence agencies
concluded in 2016 that Russia was behind an effort to tip the scales
of the presidential election against Hillary Clinton, with a
state-authorized campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories
planted on social media.
Both the Russian and U.S.
presidents poured scorn on suggestions of "collusion,” with Mr
Trump calling it "the greatest political witch hunt in history"
carried out by “13 angry Democrats.” Yet, the intelligence
community said that not only did Russia interfere, but that Putin
ordered it. Trump's refusal to accept the assessments caused major
waves in the intelligence community, where many were already worried
about the level of trust the president had in them.
Besides his anger over
election intelligence, Trump often takes issue with the agencies and
subordinate organizations over topics such as the Iraq war, Hillary
Clinton, Michael Flynn, the so-called Steele dossier.
And, who can forget when
Trump surprised the world by announcing an immediate withdrawal from
Syria? He did so after a call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan (December 2018) and despite almost universal opposition from
U.S. military leaders and his own national security team. He even
reportedly surprised Erdogan with his eagerness to comply with the
Turkish leader’s advice.
Intelligence briefings are
no barrier to Trump if he desires to start a brand new war – as
more information comes out about the airstrike that killed Iranian
General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad (January 3,2020), it becomes all
too clear that the president used the intelligence community as a
shield to defend his decision-making.
New
York Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi, who covers ISIS
and al Qaeda, tweeted:
“I’ve had a chance
to check in with sources, including two US officials who had
intelligence briefings after the strike on Suleimani. Here is what
I’ve learned. According to them, the evidence suggesting there was
to be an imminent attack on American targets is ‘razor thin.’”
Former
CIA director John Brennan has called Trump “imbecilic” and
“treasonous” and memorably taunted: “Your kakistocracy is
collapsing.” (I had to look it up – “system of government that
is run by the worst, least qualified, and/or most unscrupulous
citizens.)
Then, Trump's decision to
revoke Brennan’s security clearance (August 2018) turned the
simmering feud into an all-out war, drawing in three generations of
the country’s top intelligence officials, over the meaning of
public service and the trajectory of the public good.
Trump has maintained a
list of individuals whose security clearance is supposedly under
review. The White House has publicly announced that the list includes
James Clapper, director of national intelligence under Barack Obama
and director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under George HW Bush
and Bill Clinton; James Comey, former FBI director; Michael Hayden,
director of the CIA and National Security Agency under George W Bush;
Sally Yates, former deputy attorney general; Andrew McCabe, former
deputy director of the FBI; Peter Strzok, former FBI agent; and Lisa
Page, former FBI lawyer.
(Tom
McCarthy. “Why is Donald Trump attacking the US intelligence
community?” The Guardian. August 19, 2018.)
Just recently Trump
continued his vengeful attack painting decorated war veteran, Lt.
Col. Alexander Vindman, as being guilty of dual loyalty to Ukraine
after he volunteered to testify in the House impeachment inquiry.
After the inquiry concluded, Trump fired Vindman, the top Ukraine
expert at the National Security Council, and US Ambassador to the
European Union Gordon Sondland.
Trump's obvious aim is to
scare his critics into silence. He is desperate to protect himself
and his cronies, no matter the truth. Some, like former Director of
National Intelligence Dan Coats, have fought back at the
exploitation. Coats publicly rebuked Trump after the 2018 Helsinki
summit where the president said, during a news conference with
Russian President Vladimir Putin, that he took Putin’s word
regarding allegations of election interference.
In a public statement,
Coats wrote:
“We have been clear
in our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their
ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy, and we will
continue to provide unvarnished and objective intelligence in support
of our national security.”
Although the intelligence
community depends on career professionals to keep America safe from
threats, the wave of personnel changes underscores the belief that
Trump is able to singularly shape its leadership by appointing
officials who serve strictly his wants and needs. This dangerous
relationship of convenience with the intelligence community could
completely undermine American institutions and expose the country to
foreign threats.
“And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
This biblical verse is
carved into the wall at CIA headquarters and stands as the agency’s
motto.
What if Trump is
successful at convincing his base that the intelligence community
today is untrustworthy? The answer is painfully clear – he will
succeed in undermining these critical institutions in a way that
might take a generation to repair. Trump's destructive, narcissistic,
and juvenile approach undermines America’s moral authority and its
national security, and thus represents an existential – present and
dangerous – threat to America.
Trump has shown absolutely
no inclination to accept his own inexperience in the areas of foreign
and intelligence policy. Instead, he continues to handicap the U.S.
Intelligence Community to perform its essential role in preserving
and protecting American interests and institutions.
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