Angry Trump Displays ‘Willful Ignorance’ In Intelligence Briefings
Reprinted with permission from AlterNet.
A common complaint expressed by ex-members of the Trump Administration is that President Donald Trump simply didn’t listen to their guidance and input. And according to a report by Time Magazine, senior intelligence briefers are expressing a similar frustration—one of whom accused Trump of showing “willful ignorance” when information was presented.
Time’s John Walcott, in a February 2 article, reported that the “most troubling” thing, according to intelligence briefers Time spoke to, is how angry and defensive Trump becomes when presented with information that contradicts positions he has taken.
In a January 30 tweet, for example, Trump lashed out over Iran—posting, “The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong! When I became President Iran was making trouble all over the Middle East, and beyond.”
Trump went on to say, “Be careful of Iran. Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!”
According to Walcott, this tension between the president and intelligence briefers “has existed since the beginning of Trump’s presidency.”
Walcott reported, “The danger, one former intelligence official said, is that those leaders and other intelligence briefers may eventually stop taking such risks in laying out the facts for the president.”
