Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told my colleague Robert Costa that he is eager to start meeting with U.S. intelligence officials for classified briefings on the nation’s secrets. The feeling may not be mutual.
The outlandish GOP candidate is not known for discretion or nuanced understanding of global security issues, let alone awareness of the widespread revulsion among U.S. intelligence officials over some of Trump’s positions – including his expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and pledge to resume torturing terrorism suspects.
Where should the U.S. intelligence community’s first PowerPoint presentation for Trump begin?
“It beggars the imagination,” said former CIA director Michael V. Hayden, who was among those who briefed President Obama after the 2008 election. “Given that [Trump’s] public persona seems to reflect a lack of understanding or care about global issues, how do you arrange these presentations to learn what are the true depths of his understanding?”
Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. said last week that U.S. spy agencies have already begun planning briefings for Trump and his presumed Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, although neither is expected to receive an initial briefing before party conventions conclude in July.
In response to a question from the Daily Beast, Clapper alluded to concern for the handling of any secrets shared. The process is designed “to ensure that everybody gets the same information and that we do comply with the needs to protect sources and methods.”
Clinton’s ability to protect sensitive information has also come under sharp criticism, after the disclosure that she relied on a private e-mail server to communicate with subordinates while serving as secretary of state. But she has likely participated in thousands of classified briefings – unlike Trump who has never been privy to the government’s most closely guarded secrets.
“This is a person who doesn’t seem to have much of a filter,” said Aki Peritz, a former CIA analyst who contributed to the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) – the digest delivered each morning to the Oval Office. “The scary part is that nobody knows who he really is. Is he this blowhard demagogue we see on TV or is he really a sophisticated consumer of information that will keep this information close to his chest?”
Either way, Director of National Intelligence and CIA analysts may have little leeway in what they present. The decision on how much to share and when are traditionally made by the sitting president.
“The candidates get the same information – no favoritism,” said David Priess, a former CIA briefer and author of “The President’s Book of Secrets,” a history of the PDB. “It’s not that the briefer can freelance.”
Pre-election briefings tend to be overviews of spy agency assessments of major topics such as the civil war in Syria. That changes after Election Day, however, when separate teams are sent in advance to the candidates’ headquarters. The winner is given a deeper briefing on more highly classified material, including CIA operations overseas. The other team heads back to headquarters without briefing the losing candidate.
Analysts selected for such assignments tend to be among the most polished and experienced in the intelligence community. “They are going to be very professional,” Peritz said, but Trump poses unique complications. “He has all kinds of relationships with Chinese investors and Russian investors. He’s spoken very highly of our adversaries. And he’s talked about using torture and waterboarding and attacking people’s families. All these things are going through the analysts’ minds.”
(c) 2016, The Washington Post · Greg Miller
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10 Responses
The yeshiva world is pushing an agenda. Why is The yeshiva world for Clinton and against Trump? Trump is more in line with Jewish values and supports Israel more than Clinton. Clinton is the one that cannot be trusted. She had a private email server and exposed our secrets to hackers. She did not provide protection to our diplomats then tried to cover it up by blaming it on a youtube video. If we get her, we also get her cheating husband. She worked with one president to force Israel into a dangerous land for peace deal. She worked with another president to give Iran a nuclear bomb. Her close adviser has connections to the Islamic brotherhood. Maybe The yeshiva world should be pushing for Trump, but definitely not for Clinton.
#1, Trump is a crass, wild card of a guy who can not be trusted with the nuclear weapons access and leading the military, the country itself, indeed! Jewish values? Huh? He supports toeva rights and abortion. Israel? It is far from clear what he holds, and whatever he holds may change in a matter of 2 hours.
Thank you YWN for exposing your true stance till now you were screaming “cruz” as if you like the guy now we see its all a lie! You liberal agenda is on full display saying that Hillary Clinton that despicable human being that exploited our national security and abandoned 4 Americans in Libya, this is the person you want to elect! What a shame!!
Do think the Clinton scam artist is more trustworthy? Did she send those emails or not, the emails were sent from her private server! Did you hear one illegal or confidential thing from Trump that he can get prosecuted for?!
Can Trump getting intelligence briefings be more dangerous than a Muslim radical getting them for the last 7.5 years?
YWN is merely posting articles from elsewhere, in these cases.
Having said that, even this is too much because as I said in a recent post here on the previous article from The Washington Post, posted here on YWN, that whoever stands in Trump’s way to victory – loses. Regardless who you are.
I warned Ben Shapiro months before he lost his job at Breitbart that he should stop his ridiculous Trump-bashing because anyone fighting divine providence will lose! And there is no question that Hashem wants Trump to win!
The other YWN article I mentioned is:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/414719/analysis-a-simple-guide-to-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-to-america.html
A good Shabbos!
Mdd,
Trump supports abortion didn’t he say that the one who performs it should be penalized?
Truecommonsense,
Leave your trolling for foxnews and cnn
I’m noticing more and more that there’s no reasoning with a Trump supporter.
The new thing is if you don’t support Trump you’re a liberal.
Hellooooo most so called “Liberal” policies are actually Populist policies. Trump by definition is a Populist!
Can one of the posters here put together a coherant sentence on how Trump spending his entire life showing that he only cares about himself is going to make America great?
With half of Boro Park becoming Social Workers does nobody understand what Narcism Personality Disorder is all about?
there are no trump supporters – just individuals willing to face the facts and bottom line refuse to vote for a an anti-semitic criminal – again, voting for crazy still trumps voting for evil – no frum Jews should be considering Clinton.
Don’t be afraid about Trump
he’ll keep a secret. Worry about Clinton she doesn’t know how to keep a secret. And Mr. Yehiva World it’s time to tone down your rederic against Trump and let at least begin to do his job. Let’s see how he dose.