A debriefing on the President's briefers (w/ David Priess)
12/02/21 • 65 min
After Donald Trump was elected President, the CIA started briefing him on the threats facing the country and other developments the could affect national security interests. From the outset, there was a problem. Trump, while occasionally polite and willing to listen, was rarely impressed with what his briefers had to tell him. He didn’t want his briefing every day. And he wasn’t interested in getting a written brief either. “He doesn’t really read anything,” his chief CIA briefer explained. “In an hour’s discussion, there might only be eight or nine minutes of real intelligence,” said the director of national intelligence. What is remarkable about these comments is that they come from a new book written by a former CIA inspector general and released by the CIA itself. It’s called, Getting to know the President. What does it say about the CIA that it would put out a tome that discloses somewhat embarrassing details of a President it once served? We talk to David Priess, a former CIA briefer himself.
GUEST:
- David Priess (@DavidPriess), Lawfare Publisher/COO, cohost @ThatWasChatter pod, fmr. CIA
HOSTS:
- Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News
- Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News
- Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)
RESOURCES:
Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod
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After Donald Trump was elected President, the CIA started briefing him on the threats facing the country and other developments the could affect national security interests. From the outset, there was a problem. Trump, while occasionally polite and willing to listen, was rarely impressed with what his briefers had to tell him. He didn’t want his briefing every day. And he wasn’t interested in getting a written brief either. “He doesn’t really read anything,” his chief CIA briefer explained. “In an hour’s discussion, there might only be eight or nine minutes of real intelligence,” said the director of national intelligence. What is remarkable about these comments is that they come from a new book written by a former CIA inspector general and released by the CIA itself. It’s called, Getting to know the President. What does it say about the CIA that it would put out a tome that discloses somewhat embarrassing details of a President it once served? We talk to David Priess, a former CIA briefer himself.
GUEST:
- David Priess (@DavidPriess), Lawfare Publisher/COO, cohost @ThatWasChatter pod, fmr. CIA
HOSTS:
- Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News
- Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News
- Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)
RESOURCES:
Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod
Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected].
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Previous Episode
Attempt to mobilize older Americans (w/ Bill McKibben)
Skullduggery presents an episode of The Climate Crisis Podcast hosted by Yahoo News Senior Editors David Knowles & Ben Adler. In this episode, Adler talks to longtime environmental activist and journalist Bill McKibben about his newest venture: Third Act, an organization intended to mobilize older Americans in the fight against climate change and in defense of voting rights. McKibben tells Adler his thoughts on the outcome of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, why he is trying to engage Americans ages 60 and older, and how he thinks climate activism must turn towards the private sector.
GUEST:
- Bill McKibben (@billmckibben), Author, Educator, Environmentalist and founder of http://350.org and http://ThirdAct.org
HOSTS:
- Ben Adler (@badler), Senior Climate Editor @YahooNews, Host of @Climate_Podcast
- David Knowles (@writerknowles), Editorial Senior Manager at @YahooNews, Host of @Climate_Podcast
RESOURCES:
- The Climate Crisis Podcast - Here.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.Next Episode
Supreme Court Greenhouse Effect (w/ Linda Greenhouse)
Supreme Justice Sotomayor grilled the solicitor general of Mississippi on what it would mean for the court's legitimacy if it does what Mississippi wants it to, overturn Row v. Wade. "Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the constitution and its reading are just political acts." This revealed that the court is deeply divided. Is this a result of Trump getting to name three Supreme Court Justices? If overturned, what happens next on the state level? We discuss with Linda Greenhouse who has been covering said court for over forty years.
GUEST:
- Linda Greenhosue (@GreenhouseLinda), covers The Supreme Court & Law for the @nytimes
HOSTS:
- Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News
- Daniel Klaidman (@dklaidman), Editor in Chief, Yahoo News
- Victoria Bassetti (@VBass), fellow, Brennan Center for Justice (contributing co-host)
RESOURCES:
- Linda Greenhouse's new book: Justice on the Brink - Here.
- Linda Greenhouse's New York Times Profile - Here.
Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod
Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected].
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.If you like this episode you’ll love
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