Trump plans to ‘reform’ CIA and FBI – Politico — RT World News

Former US President Donald Trump is “Possible” Trump called for comprehensive reforms in the US intelligence services if he is re-elected in November, raising concerns from agencies that once baselessly accused him of establishing ties with Russia.

Politico interviewed 18 intelligence officials — including several former Trump appointees who later came out as outspoken critics of him — in a friendly meeting. condition It was published on Monday, warning of the possibility of a potential purge “Undermining the credibility of US intelligence.”

“Trump intends to go after the intelligence community” said one former senior intelligence official. “He started this process before and he will do it again. Part of this process is to root out people and punish them.”

He will replace the new president “People are seen as hostile to his political agenda with inexperienced loyalists.” Politico summarized the claim by Trump's critics.

The two individuals specifically mentioned are former Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Richard Grenell and his assistant Kash Patel, who played a key role in declassifying material related to Russiagate's assets.

Politico acknowledged that Trump's hostility to the intelligence community was linked to the infamous document alleging Russia “to intervene” In the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton. It quoted former FBI official Andrew McCabe defending the inclusion of the so-called steel file — produced by a former British spy paid by the Clinton campaign via snippets — is in the appendix as mere due diligence.

Although the FBI soon discovered that the dossier was false and who had funded it, they… Keep using it To spy on the Trump campaign and his presidency.

When Trump objected to the intelligence assessment — drawn up not by all 17 agencies, but rather by a carefully selected group of loyalists to the Obama administration — at a July 2018 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the spies felt “Never before has a commander in chief so publicly delegitimized their work.” Dan Coats, Trump's director of national intelligence, told Politico that this prompted him to tender his resignation in February 2019 — which was eventually accepted in August.

Other Trump appointees-turned-critics interviewed in the article include former National Security Advisor John Bolton and Fiona Hilla senior Russia adviser on the National Security Council — and a witness against Trump in his impeachment trial in Ukraine.

“He wants to arm the intelligence community.” Hale lamented. “If he gets information about one thing, he will partially blind us.”

Several unnamed officials said potential Trump purges could be jeopardized “Sources and methods” They are used by US spies and undermine the confidence of US allies in Washington, which the Biden administration has tried so hard to rebuild. Last December, a diplomat from an unnamed NATO member state described Trump's re-election and the virtual purging of the American administrative apparatus “The Doomsday Option.”

Others expressed concern about the appointments “controversial” The numbers could prompt junior officials and competent employees to resign.

“There are thousands of people doing their best, often in dangerous places, sacrificing so much for the country. For the Commander-in-Chief to reject their work is truly disheartening. John Darby, former director of operations at the National Security Agency (NSA), told Politico: