Former US President Trump 'most difficult' leader to brief on Intel, reveals CIA report

A recently published analysis by the CIA's academic division reveals that the US intelligence community struggled to brief former US President Donald Trump in the weeks leading up to his arrival as the President in 2016. Trump's transition to the White House in late 2016 and early 2017 was the most difficult experience the intelligence community (IC) had briefing new presidents, according to retired intelligence officer John Helgerson, who wrote the chapter on Trump's transition in the CIA's book titled, "Getting to Know the President" on briefing presidents. As per the reports of Hill, Helgerson also stated that Trump doubted intelligence experts' capabilities and felt no need for frequent intelligence support.

The new information on Trump's relationship with the intelligence agency comes from Helgerson's 40-page history of the former president's time in office, which is part of the CIA's book "Getting to Know the President." The book documents presidents' relationships with the intelligence community since 1952. Trump, like former President Richard Nixon, was distrustful and apprehensive about the intelligence process but the two acted differently, according to Hill.

The intelligence community's system struggled to achieve its two main goals

Helgerson said that the intelligence community's system struggled to achieve its two main goals for Trump, according to the Hill, which is assisting the elected president in becoming familiar with threats affecting the US and its interests and establishing a relationship, which includes helping him carry out the office's responsibilities.

Trump began lashing out at the intelligence community in public settings as it became more involved in political incidents involving Trump, including the Steele dossier on his alleged ties to Russia, which was said to have leaked from the intelligence community, according to the Hill. Trump did not thoroughly review his daily briefing. Ted Gistaro, a career CIA analyst who briefed Trump, claimed that Trump didn't read the briefings.

Trump doesn't read much

James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence stated that Trump had no inclination to read and doesn't read the briefings submitted to him every day. His method was to listen to the essential points, carefully examine them, and then steer the conversation to related topics, according to the Hill. In the book, Helgerson also stated that while Trump's daily briefings were scheduled to resume on January 6, no meetings were held following the horrific attack on the US Capitol.

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