Is Trump told everything at his intelligence briefings?

[Cyrano]

Think about it. Do the CIA, the FBI, and all the other intelligence agencies that brief him daily, trust him? Do they think that whatever he's told will end up in The Kremlin and Beijing within an hour?

Just guessing here, but I think that some information, critical to the security of the United States, is being withheld from him. I would suppose that the different agencies are sharing information with each other and doing their best to defend the security of America. After all, they've been doing it for decades.

I just can't see them telling Trump anything that they think he would blab about and endanger our national security.

So if I'm right about this, we have a clueless president who is not trusted, and who is not really fully in charge. Ya think?

[leftieNanner]

1. I agree with you

Even if they did include all of the secure information were in his PDB, he wouldn't read it. But I also hope that they exclude certain bits because Jared and Ivanka are reading it as well, and we know that Jared has shared state secrets with the Saudis.

[hlthe2b]

2. Considering he refuses to read anything and requires every discussion to be no longer than a tweet..

then there is every reason to say yes, they withhold considerable issues and details from him (and given the constraints HE has ordered--they don't even have to have a justification for doing so)

[Hekate]

7. It's pretty obvious by now. He requires pictures. He requires his name every other paragraph. ...

He limits time to the bare minimum and cancels meetings.

Given the level of professionalism still existing in the intelligence departments, I have a feeling they generate reports, including PDBs, and that someone reads them -- just not the Mad King.

He can't be bothered, since his big brain (which is full of mush) and his big gut (which is full of shit) do a very fantastic excellent job of thinking for him. Many people say so.

[Ohiogal]

3. Recall the NYT piece

by the anonymous author who said he isn't really running the country, his dedicated little circle of so-called "Patriots" are. And how they run into the Oval Office at times and remove some papers from his desk. Makes sense he's not told everything.

[Girard442]

4. I think we're all being driven to believe that Trump's hands are kept away from the levers of power.

Many of them, anyway. Ever notice that no one seems to fret much anymore that Trump might launch a nuclear attack? Mind you, this is a silent coup and is horrible, but it's less horrible than letting Donnie drive.

[Cyrano]

5. Yep. "Friends don't let friends launch nukes."

[bitterross]

6. I Doubt it. I Doubt any President is.

Let's be real here. Every one of those agency heads has their own agenda. All them are going pick-and-choose and craft their briefings to further their agendas.

I'm sure some Presidents get better, more honest briefings than others. The ones like Obama and Clinton probably got fairly decent briefings because they are intelligent enough to eventually figure out they're being played. Trump, W., Reagan probably didn't fair as well. Reagan, especially because he had Poppy Bush, the CIA operative, as his VP.

[Jim__]

8. Is there a printed copy of the PDB?

If so, my guess is they hide critical information there with the full confidence that Trump will never see it.

[mr_lebowski]

10. That'd be the smart thing to do ... gotta CYA ...

Putting it in writing does that, while simultaneously vastly decreasing the chance that Individual I reveals sensitive info while blabbing on his unsecured mobile phone ... ya know, since he doesn't read.

[Cyrano]

11. Sure hope he doesn't know his unsecured phone can snap a pic

[pamela]

9. I bet they didn't let him see the Book of Secrets either

My husband and I were just talking about this this morning. He said he bet they weren't showing him all the intelligence. I agree plus I bet they didn't let him see the book of secrets.

[Golden Raisin]

12. Given that he publicly contradicts, mistrusts and scorns

our Intelligence agencies (CIA/FBI) I would imagine that many in both the upper echelons and rank-and-files are pissed and minimally looking askance/editing what to inform Trump if not outright witholding.

[Historic NY]

13. They can only make so many cartoons with his name in them

[KentuckyWoman]

14. It is difficult to give intelligence briefings to a man who doesn't have intelligence.

He doesn't have any belief system other than himself. I'm not even sure he cares about money considering the depth of his business failures. Money buys ease for himself... that's about all he cares about as far as money is concerned. Excuses for self adoration matters far more to him.