Nothing appears in the press these days about the 16 or 17 (depending on which count you accept) U.S. intelligence agencies. That’s not surprising. Their work and their status are classified. But we know that President Trump is furious with them because they reported on Russian efforts to meddle in the 2016 election on his behalf. According to the press, the Russians are at it again, trying to sway the 2020 election in Trump’s favor. When the acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire allowed Congress to be briefed on Russian efforts on Trump’s behalf last February, Trump fired him.
I have to note, in passing, Trump’s refusal to ever say a bad word about Russia or Vladimir Putin. Even when we learned that Russia was offering to pay bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing American in Afghanistan, Trump said nothing. One has to ask: Why is Trump so pro-Russian?
And what he has done to punish those agencies for reporting is unknown to the general public. My guess is that after Trump’s defeat in the 2020 election and the Democrats take control of Congress, we will learn a great deal about Trump’s illegal and even criminal actions the Republicans have so far concealed. Even then we may not know the full extent of damage he inflicted on intelligence because, again, intelligence is classified.
We must work to repair the sabotage Trump has inflicted on the intelligence agencies. They are our eyes and ears. Without them, we have no way of knowing what our enemies are up to.
I urge members of Congress to investigate the damage Trump has done to the intelligence agencies and begin repairs.
Tom Glenn, Writer 