Former CIA Director Regrets How Intel Agencies Treated Trump

Daily Caller ^ | December 11, 2017 | Alex Pfeiffer

[Red Steel]

Former Acting CIA Director Michael Morell thinks that intelligence agencies were too harsh to Trump during the campaign and presidential transition, according to an interview released Monday.

Morell, who left the CIA in 2013 after serving as its acting director twice, endorsed Hillary Clinton in an August 2016 New York Times op-ed.

Politico’s Susan Glassner asked Morell if getting involved was a mistake and the former CIA official said that it wasn’t, but that “there were downsides to it that I didn’t think about at the time.”

“I was concerned about what is the impact it would have on the agency, right? Very concerned about that, thought that through. But I don’t think I fully thought through the implications,” Morell said. “So, let’s put ourselves here in Donald Trump’s shoes. So, what does he see? Right? He sees a former director of CIA and a former director of NSA, Mike Hayden, who I have the greatest respect for, criticizing him and his policies. Right? And he could rightfully have said, ‘Huh, what’s going on with these intelligence guys?’ Right?”

WATCH U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS DISCUSS RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN THE ELECTION:

“And then he sees a former acting director and deputy director of CIA criticizing him and endorsing his opponent,” Morell continued. “And then he gets his first intelligence briefing, after becoming the Republican nominee, and within 24 to 48 hours, there are leaks out of that that are critical of him and his then-national security advisor, Mike Flynn.”

Morell is referring to an NBC report that said Flynn was repeatedly interrupting briefers during the session.

“And so, this stuff starts to build, right? And he must have said to himself, ‘What is it with these intelligence guys? Are they political?’ The current director at the time, John Brennan, during the campaign occasionally would push back on things that Donald Trump had said,” Morell told Politico.

The former CIA acting director continued to reference leaked reports during the interview.

“Then he becomes president, and he’s supposed to be getting a daily brief from the moment he becomes the president-elect. Right? And he doesn’t. And within a few days, there’s leaks about how he’s not taking his briefing. So, he must have thought—right?—that, ‘Who are these guys? Are these guys out to get me? Is this a political organization? Can I think about them as a political organization when I become president?'”

He concluded: “So, I think there was a significant downside to those of us who became political in that moment. So, if I could have thought of that, would I have ended up in a different place? I don’t know. But it’s something I didn’t think about.”

[Kickass Conservative]

Oh yeah, no Blindfolds.

[NorthMountain]

SOB regrets that he got caught.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

We allowed the entire Patriot Act to pass. In return, the IC was supposed to protect our rights from terrorists and hostile foreign powers. But when the foreign snakes showed up, they saw that “our” deep state had already taken our rights away!

[Behind the Blue Wall]

Whoa, man, if anyone should’ve thought something like that through, wouldn’t it be a CIA director? If he’s telling the truth, we’re in more trouble than I thought.

[DesertRhino]

They weren’t too harsh. They committed sedition. The absolute hallmark of nations that are not free is the security services being arrayed against the populace and the political opposition.

The bastards are beaten in their coup attempt...so now we are starting to hear meek apologies in hopes all will be forgiven.

Screw that...disband the CIA and FBI.

[DoughtyOne]

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President Donald J. Trump and the Free Republic of the United States of America
President Donald J. Trump's address to the United Nations on 09/19/2017.

Ramirez political cartoon:  the Roy Moore Compass LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).
Garrison political cartoon:  Moore or Less LARGE VERSION 12/11/2017: LINK  LINK (scroll down) to regular sized versions of his political cartoons (archive).


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[RitaOK]

ZACTLY.

Morello smells something close to the Intel Hen House. He’s beginning to dig out, deciding to hope for a fox hole.

[V K Lee]

Not even qualified to earn his keep at the Laundromat.
Unable to sort: the dark from the light.

[DesertRhino]

“FBI, CIA, NSA...Its the nature of their business - there will always be a temptation to deep corruption given what they do.”

And THAT is precisely why Jefferson, Adams, Madison, et al did not create such beasts in the Constitution when they created our nation.

[robert14]

Wow. Amazing. He is looking for a rock to hide under. Something must be coming.

[TexasTransplant]

Hillary will not be pleased. (Well someone had to say it)

[Robert357]

Yes, it was a serious mistake on the part of the security agencies, but Trump will extract his pound of flesh and they will suffer for decades.

[crosdaddy]

May the fleas from ten thousand camels infect their nether regions.

[JohnyBoy]

The CIA currently enjoys no status within the federal government. The Director of the CIA doesn’t trust the reports they give him because they’re frequently lied or omitted information in order to shape policy. Trump won’t even give them the time of day after repeated leaks from them.

This reduction in status is leading towards people leaving the CIA just as it’s doing in the state department.

[AndyJackson]

Didn’t think it through. That’s our CIA!

[Mama Shawna]

Right? Right? He sounds like a valley girl, right?

[AndyJackson]

Unfortunately their problem is our problem

[Snowybear]

I noticed how all the leaks stopped once Reince and the press dude got canned.

[MarvinStinson]

What he is now finding out more and more is that he jumped onto once seemed a luxurious ocean liner but now is a SINKING SHIP.

Excellent analogy.

[justa-hairyape]

Gee. Being a paid whore for Crooked Hillary has a downside ? What a surprise.