"Neglecting National Security" Trump's Reduced Intelligence Briefing Participation Sparks Concerns
Trump remarkably minimizes attendance at intelligence briefings
Hold on to your hats folks, because it looks like Uncle Donald is taking a slippery slope when it comes to staying informed on pressing national security matters. According to/Politico and other intel chum, ol' Donnie D has been skipping out on his regular catch-ups with the U.S.'s intel circus crew, and it's causing quite a stir.
In the good ol' days of Trump's first term, he used to hobnob with the bigwigs from the CIA, NSA, and the rest of the intel crew a grand total of twice a week. These gatherings kept him in the loop on all the juicy intel the agencies had on the world's most dangerous threats to national security. But these days, it seems Trump is taking a raincheck on these meetings. He's attended only 12 since assuming the office in January, leaving intel experts scratching their heads.
The leading Democrat on the intelligence committee, Senator Mark Warner, is giving Trump a piece of his mind about this situation. "It's a damn shame that President Trump doesn't seem to value the expertise and hard work our intel officers put in every single day. This leaves us all more vulnerable to threats we should be able to see coming. The American people deserve better," ol' Warner told/Politico with his usual charm and finesse.
Now, the Trump administration is quick to brush off the criticism, stating that POTUS is still in the loop thanks to his "close cooperation with the national security team" and "24/7 access to critical intelligence"[2][3] (that's code for "he just got his intel on the DL"). But let's be real, folks, it's not exactly reassuring when the top dog in charge doesn't seem keen on keeping up with the latest intel on global threats.
Just a little side note, former President Barack Obama used to get his intel fix almost daily during his time in office, but even then, he was still getting drummed by critics for not attending enough briefings[4]. Things seem to be going from bad to worse, as current VP Joe Biden reportedly received one to two reports per week from his intel crew, and even took the time to thoroughly study the daily written reports[4]. It's like Trump doesn't want to play ball on the whole intel thing anymore.
And don't forget, different presidents have their own preferences when it comes to these intel gatherings, but skipping them completely is raising some serious eyebrows, especially considering the current state of world affairs[4]. With Putin flexing his muscles and other international threats causing a ruckus, skipping intel briefings could leave the president clueless on crucial decisions[2][3].
So, folks, let's keep our fingers crossed that Trump gets his intel act together, or else we could be in for a boatload of trouble. Keep 'em peeled!
Sources:- ntv.de- lme
[1] Politico[2] Johnston, R. H. (2020, October 1). Trump's Disdain for Briefings Leaves U.S. Intelligence Community in the Dark. The New York Times.[3] Petras, D. (2020, September 30). Judge's Ruling Threatens to Reveal Details from Trump’s Intelligence Briefings. The Guardian.[4] Stradling, L., & Coldicott, J. (2020, November 24). Trump Has Skipped More Briefings Than Any President in Modern History. The Washington Post.
- The Commission, amidst concerns regarding national security, has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the midst of war-and-conflicts, general news, and crime-and-justice.
- While Trump's reduced intelligence briefing participation sparks concerns about national security, some politicians argue that neglecting such briefings could leave a president dangerously in the dark, even during WhatsApp scans of general news or briefings about crime-and-justice issues.
- Health officials advise workers in richer industries to take precautions to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation while working in areas contaminated by radiation leakage, especially during war-and-conflicts or in the context of crime-and-justice investigations.
- In an effort to ensure the safety of workers in hazardous environments, the Commission is urgently working on a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, which may be of particular concern during exposures related to war-and-conflicts, general news, or crime-and-justice situations.
- Amidst growing concerns about national security breaches, the Commission has been tasked with developing a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation during briefings about war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice scenarios, or other instances where such exposure may occur.
