In the days leading up to Trump's and Putin's meeting, one of the CIA’s senior-most Russia experts worked grueling hours, helping Trump and his team prepare for high-stakes diplomacy over Ukraine and making sure they were adequately briefed. Ha, ha! Orange Jello doesn't want to be briefed, he wants Vlad to love him! Via the Washington Post:
Four days later, the CIA officer — whom The Washington Post is not naming for her protection — was at work at the spy agency’s Langley headquarters when she was abruptly ordered to report to the security office. She was informed that her clearance to look at classified material was being stripped. In a span of minutes, her 29-year career in public service was essentially over.
The officer had been expecting an imminent move to Europe to take up a prestigious assignment approved by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Instead, she became the latest casualty of a widening cull by Trump and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, fueled at times by far-right activist Laura Loomer, targeting national security professionals whom they deem to have engaged in “politicization or weaponization of intelligence to advance personal, partisan, or non-objective agendas,” according to Gabbard’s Aug. 19 memo announcing the revocation at Trump’s direction of security clearances.
The memo, posted on X, listed no specific infractions, but to many current and former officials it looked to be a revenge-driven loyalty purge. Among the 37 people whose clearances Gabbard publicly revoked were senior U.S. intelligence officials, including the CIA officer.
Why have expertise when you can have loyal sycophants bowing before you and singing your praises?
