"Doltish Destruction" -- Trump and Manipulative Intelligence

“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.