February 3, 2019
WHERE THERE'S A WILL...:
'Willful Ignorance.' Inside President Trump's Troubled Intelligence Briefings (JOHN WALCOTT, February 2, 2019, TIME)
Citing multiple in-person episodes, these intelligence officials say Trump displays what one called "willful ignorance" when presented with analyses generated by America's $81 billion-a-year intelligence services. The officials, who include analysts who prepare Trump's briefs and the briefers themselves, describe futile attempts to keep his attention by using visual aids, confining some briefing points to two or three sentences, and repeating his name and title as frequently as possible.What is most troubling, say these officials and others in government and on Capitol Hill who have been briefed on the episodes, are Trump's angry reactions when he is given information that contradicts positions he has taken or beliefs he holds. Two intelligence officers even reported that they have been warned to avoid giving the President intelligence assessments that contradict stances he has taken in public.
In fairness, a president would be better served by consuming open sources than by secret bureaucratic briefings. Unfortunately, Donalds maintains a wall of ignorance from journalism as well.
Posted by Orrin Judd at February 3, 2019 7:32 AM