2024-11-12 21:08:00
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump has long been skeptical of U.S. intelligence services, accusing them of trying to undermine his first term and campaign. Now he’s set to return to the White House, where his commitment to reforming the intelligence community has set him on a path to confront one of the government’s most secretive and powerful branches.
For the CIA and other intelligence agencies, the start of Trump’s second term is a way to reset an often challenging relationship with the president, who has described them in the past as being deep in the “deep state,” This is the label Trump has applied to thousands of people.
Trump’s return to power gives him a chance to make good on his promise to clean up officials he believes are trying to challenge his leadership and criticize his behavior.
The impact of ties to spy agencies could not be greater and will almost certainly be reflected in Trump’s appointments to top jobs.
Current and former intelligence officials are also looking for clues to determine whether Trump will use U.S. intelligence to make his foreign policy and national security decisions, or whether he will be aware of the concerns of critics who fear he might leak secrets or exploit Intelligence work against the United States.
“If you continue to work on paying down the debt and cleaning up, that’s going to have an impact on the agency. We’re going to lose people, and there’s going to be that fear of: ‘What’s going to get me into trouble politically?'” At the Center said Douglas London, a 34-year veteran of the intelligence service who now writes about intelligence work and teaches college at Georgetown.
London said that in his experience, intelligence officials work hard to avoid any partisanship and put their constitutional oath above politics.
“There’s not much agency officials can do,” London added, “other than say, ‘We’re here, we’re on your team, we’re here to support you.'”
Trump made his intentions clear the day after winning a second term.
“We are going to root out every corrupt person in our national security and intelligence agencies, and there are a lot of them,” Trump said in a video released last week. “Departments and agencies that have been weaponized will be completely transformed.”
To avoid any difficulties with the president-elect, intelligence agencies emphasized their nonpartisan mission and their usefulness to any new president seeking to understand a world complicated by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and a growing partnership with China sex.
Intelligence officials have not said whether Trump has received the intelligence briefing, but the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued a statement saying the agency was following standard presidential procedure since the election of Dwight Eisenhower.
“The Office of the Director of National Intelligence follows a tradition dating back to 1952 of providing intelligence reports to the president-elect,” the office wrote.
Trump was anything but traditional in the White House or on the campaign trail, displaying a level of hostility toward the nation’s spy agencies not seen since Richard Nixon, who believed the CIA and other agencies were trying to undermine his presidency .
Trump has frequently complained about the CIA and other spy agencies, accusing them of working to undermine his first term and trying to prevent him from returning to the White House. He also accused intelligence officials of questioning his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has received fewer intelligence briefings as president than any other recent commander in chief. In 2021, President Joe Biden suggested that Trump should no longer receive the standard intelligence briefings provided to former presidents, calling it “unstable.”
Trump has also been accused of mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a case that remains stalled in court as prosecutors seek to reach a conclusion after the election.
Elbridge Colby, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense during Trump’s first administration, said the victory gives Trump full authority to implement his national security and intelligence vision.
Colby said wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and growing competition with China showed Trump had little time to engage with the country’s national security and intelligence agencies, which he likened to the Titanic heading toward an iceberg.
“If you turned the Titanic 90 degrees, people would fall off their bunks and the chandeliers and china would break,” Colby said Sunday on Tucker Carlson’s network show. “But this is where we are now… President Trump is against the system.”
Trump’s choice to lead the CIA and other spy agencies may provide the first clues about his intentions.
People mentioned as possible CIA directors include John Ratcliffe, Trump’s former director of national intelligence, who served on the Department of Defense and National Security Council during Trump’s first term as president. Trump aide Kash Patel.
Patel spoke candidly about his desire to use government to push back against Trump’s critics and opponents of his 2020 campaign.
Regarding the 2020 election, Patel said on Steve Bannon’s podcast last year, “We’re going to go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media.” Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed that the election was stolen, but there is no evidence of this.
A spokesman for Patel declined to comment. A spokesman for Trump’s transition team said in a statement that the president-elect will announce his administration appointments as they are made, but did not provide any announcement date.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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**Interview with Douglas London, Former Intelligence Officer and Author:**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Douglas. As we look ahead to Donald Trump’s return to the White House, he has made it clear that he intends to reform the intelligence community. What are your initial thoughts on this announcement?
**Douglas London:** Thank you for having me. Trump’s commitment to addressing what he calls “corruption” within the intelligence agencies signals a significant and potentially tumultuous shift in how intelligence is perceived and managed at the highest levels. His approach raises questions about the future of nonpartisanship within these agencies.
**Editor:** You’ve spent decades in intelligence. Do you think Trump’s past skepticism towards agencies like the CIA will affect their operations?
**Douglas London:** Absolutely. There’s already a delicate balance intelligence officials must maintain to uphold their constitutional duties. If there’s a general atmosphere of distrust instilled by the leadership, it could lead to fear among officials about how their actions might be perceived politically, potentially undermining their mission.
**Editor:** In his video after securing his second term, Trump spoke about rooting out corrupt officials. How do you think this rhetoric will influence the morale within intelligence agencies?
**Douglas London:** Such rhetoric can be demoralizing. Intelligence professionals pride themselves on their objectivity and dedication to national security, not on partisan politics. If they feel as though they are under constant scrutiny or might be targeted for political reasons, it could hinder their effectiveness and willingness to share critical information.
**Editor:** What do you foresee regarding Trump’s approach to foreign policy and intelligence use during his second term?
**Douglas London:** It’s hard to predict with certainty, but if Trump insists on prioritizing personal loyalty over expertise, we might see intelligence used more as a tool to support his narrative than as an impartial resource for sound decision-making. This could be risky, especially with complex issues like the Ukraine conflict and tensions with China.
**Editor:** Do you think intelligence agencies will adapt to these changes, and if so, how?
**Douglas London:** Intelligence agencies have always adapted to political changes. They will likely emphasize their nonpartisan mission and showcase their relevance in a world filled with challenges. They’ll aim to maintain open lines of communication to ensure they are seen as valuable partners, despite any tension with the administration.
**Editor:** Thank you, Douglas, for your insights on this evolving topic. We will be closely watching how these developments unfold in the coming months.
**Douglas London:** Thank you for having me. It’s a critical time for the intelligence community and national security and I appreciate the opportunity to discuss it.
