Changes at the Dept. of State are ultimately less important than changes at the CIA

[Tom Rinaldo]

Trump had already effectively neutered the State Department. Tillerson did step off the reservation from time to time, but he always retreated back to it when reprimanded. Pompeo may not have been quite compliant enough at the CIA for Trump's needs.

[hlthe2b]

1. that thought has certainly occurred to me.

I'm just hoping this Gina Haspel is entrenched enough into CIA that she won't be so amenable to dismantling targeted Russia ops.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gina_Haspel

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. Comments like these were clearly insufficiently Trumpian

In an interview with the BBC aired on Tuesday, U.S. intelligence chief Pompeo said Russia had a long history of information campaigns and said its threat would not go away.

Asked if Russia would try to influence the mid-term elections, he said: “Of course. I have every expectation that they will continue to try and do that.

“But I am confident that America will be able to have a free and fair election. That we’ll push back in a way that is sufficiently robust that the impact they have on our election won’t be great.”

[hlthe2b]

4. twitter traffic seems to suggest (despite her role in rendition), that Gina H is not a sycophant,

is, unlike Pompeo, a qualified career CIA officer and will not be likely to go soft on Russia.

[Tom Rinaldo]

5. We have been blessed so far by the integrity of career public servents

Even when their politics differ sharply from "ours" they have usually had respect for the sanctity of their offices and the norms of our democracy. But Trump keeps digging through the ranks looking for weak links. And of course, I don't believe he has appointed her yet to permanently head the CIA. He still has time to look for someone more compliant than she to install without the "Acting" title.

[hlthe2b]

7. Actually Trump has named her as Director (must be Senate confirmed)

not just acting... It was in his tweet, but I can't bring myself to go over there...

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. OK, there's that then

Hopefully she does have some integrity regarding the core role if the CIA then, even if she embraces some unAmerican means to pursue that mission.

The fact that Trump was ready to immediately pick a new nominee indicates that while the decision to make this move might have been made suddenly, it has been actively contemplated for awhile

[Clarity2]

6. That's good to hear

because I was looking at that wiki link, and she sounds horrid.

Pompeo I will never trust.

[Phoenix61]

2. That makes sense

Twilter has appointed a woman to head the CIA and we all know what high-esteem he holds women in. I'm sure he believes he will be able to intimidate her.