DNI Revamping President’s Daily Intel Brief, Restricting Access

Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, has a few challenges advising President Trump. He reportedly doesn’t like to read much, has a short attention span, and deplores intelligence agencies and intel briefs, mostly based on his negative experiences during his 2016 campaign and first term.

Spying on his campaign, and subverting him while in office, can do that.

He also loves broadcast media. These aren’t criticisms, just observations.

These are key reasons why Trump has dropped his in-depth Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) down to perhaps one a week. Because of that, Trump currently receives a product described as the “best of” intelligence highlights from the past week, in addition to anything new that day.

Some news sources are breathlessly reporting that Trump has sat for only 12 “daily” intelligence briefings since taking office. While that’s his prerogative, some of his advisors would prefer him to get it a bit more often.

Two other problems are that the PDB has traditionally been produced by the CIA which no longer oversees the Intelligence Community (IC), and too many people have access to it, increasing leaks.

The highly classified PDB in its current form has been around since the early 1960s under JFK, though the idea started in 1946. It provides the Commander-in-Chief, and selected senior leaders, detailed insights into major national security related issues of the day.

It has changed over the years to better suit the White House occupant, and been slightly modernized, but until 2014 under President Obama, it was mostly a lengthy briefing book, combined with in-person briefings.

Obama requested the intelligence brief be changed to digital form so it could be read on a secure laptop or similar device and include graphics and videos.

Now Gabbard intends to make even bigger changes.

While Democrat critics say her plan is to politicize intelligence given to Trump, and dumb it down, the changes are valid and were needed well before Gabbard became DNI. She is simply adjusting to the times.

One source noted that during Gabbard’s confirmation in the Senate, “there was bipartisan consensus that the PDB was in need of serious reform. DNI Gabbard is leading that reform and is ensuring the President receives timely, relevant, objective intelligence reporting.”

Former intelligence officials who worked under Trump 45 said he preferred to be briefed verbally and to ask questions but would not read long memos or other lengthy written material.

That’s why during Trump’s first term, the PDB evolved into a one-page outline of topics with a set of graphics, presented verbally by an intelligence officer about twice a week.

Now, to better serve her boss, Gabbard wants Trump to trust and consume the intelligence they provide. And this requires a major shift.

As NBC News reported:

One idea that has been discussed is to transform the PDB so it mirrors a Fox News broadcast, according to four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. Under that concept as it has been discussed, the national intelligence director’s office could hire a Fox News producer to produce it and one of the network’s personalities to present it; Trump, an avid Fox News viewer, could then watch the broadcast PDB whenever he wanted.

While much of the reporting mocked this reported idea, NBC added:

U.S. intelligence officials have created videos in the past to present information to presidents, including profiles of world leaders, for instance. Hollywood legend Charlton Heston narrated instructional films about highly classified topics for the Energy Department and the U.S. intelligence and military community. The films included information about nuclear weapons, requiring Heston to hold the highest relevant security clearance possible for at least six years.

So, it’s not a big stretch.

And even if the PDB were to be converted to Fox News-style video for Trump, it would still most likely be provided in something like its current digital form to other top administration officials.

There are also some other tweaks being reportedly considered.

NBC News explained:

Gabbard has also discussed tailoring some of the content in the PDB to Trump’s interests, such as including more information on economic and trade issues and less routine focus on the war in Ukraine…

Including intelligence on issues the president particularly cares about is not unusual. The PDB for Biden included gender and climate change issues…

Currently, a large analytical and production team at the CIA compiles the PDB based on the latest intelligence gathered by our spy numerous and varied agencies. But as DNI, Gabbard oversees and approves the final PDB. 

To increase her office’s role in the PDB, Gabbard reportedly plans to move the office that prepares the PDB from the CIA HQ in Langley, Virginia, to the DNI office a few miles away in McLean.

And then there is access to the PDB, which Gabbard has tightly restricted.

Former officials say that “way too many people” were getting the PDB under Biden and Obama, with one saying, “There are slimmed-down versions that are appropriate for most, but very few need what POTUS gets.”

As CNN reported:

Administration officials planned from the earliest days of Trump’s second term to cut access to the… PDB — in part because during his first term, details from the report were sometimes leaked to the press, which contributed to the president’s sense that the intelligence community was trying to undermine him.

The outlet added:

Current and former officials say the move to limit access to the PDB comes against the backdrop of the president and his top officials’ determination to quash leaks and bring to heel what they see as subversive elements within the intelligence community — highlighting what one US official described as “ongoing large distrust issues.”

Gabbard has vowed to “aggressively [pursue] recent leakers” and “clean house.” But she has also assured lawmakers that she “will welcome dissenting voices to be able to make sure that [the PDB] is thoroughly vetted prior to presenting it and make sure that the truth is reported whether that truth is convenient or not.”

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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