Donald Trump politicizes U.S. intelligence, former officials protest

Former CIA analyst Julia Curlee says President Donald Trump turned intelligence gathering into a political tool, citing the firing of senior officers, revocation of clearances and the declassification of reports to support election‑interference claims. She describes how the Trump administration pressured the National Intelligence Council to produce a favorable assessment of a Venezuela threat, which the NIC ultimately rejected, leading to internal clashes.

More than 400 former national‑security and intelligence officials have sent a letter to Congress demanding an investigation into a CIA memo that the Trump administration used to allege Chinese interference in the 2020 election. The officials argue the document shows signs of being cherry‑picked and possibly fabricated, warning that such misuse of intelligence could fuel sweeping voting‑rights restrictions.