First Political Personnel Shake-up: Trump Dismisses Top Intelligence Officials Over Russia Interference Investigations
Amid ongoing political battles and a power struggle over intelligence agencies, former U.S.
President Donald Trump has taken another significant step in his contentious relationship with American intelligence services.
According to sources, including The Economist, Trump removed high-ranking CIA officials responsible for analyzing the Russian direction, including individuals who have served for over twenty years and participated in the preparation of reports on Russian interference in the 2016 elections.
This move is seen as part of his ongoing effort to control the information space and shift responsibility away from intelligence agencies.
Notably, on August 19, one of the key figures—a female officer overseeing Russia-related activities and involved in the report on Kremlin interference during the presidential campaign—was stripped of her security clearance by the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsie Habbard.
Along with two other senior officials, she was banned from accessing classified information, marking a broader campaign by Trump to undermine intelligence institutions, an action that has raised concerns among current and former intelligence officials, as losing access often signifies the end of a professional career.
The dismissals extend to individuals specializing in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence in NSA, who are considered some of the most knowledgeable and conscientious voices within federal agencies, and others who openly criticized Trump’s national security policies.
These developments highlight a escalating conflict between the current administration and the U.S.
intelligence community, with potential long-term repercussions for national security policies.