We learned during Trump’s first term that he spent most of his “working” day watching TV and tweeting. We also know that while Trump threatens the world with tariffs, takeovers and invasions, he can’t be bothered with his intelligence briefings. After all, he might miss a Fox News fluffer and potential high-level official on the teevee!
Even the “stunningly unqualified” Fox News pundit-turned director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard seems concerned.
According to NBC News, she’s got a possible workaround: make the briefings more like Trump’s favorite TV channel! And with one of his favorite fluffers as host!
As part of that effort, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has solicited ideas from current and former intelligence officials about steps she could take to tailor the briefing, known as the President’s Daily Brief, or PDB, to Trump’s policy interests and habits.
…
One idea that has been discussed is to transform the PDB so it mirrors a Fox News broadcast, according to four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. Under that concept as it has been discussed, the national intelligence director’s office could hire a Fox News producer to produce it and one of the network’s personalities to present it; Trump, an avid Fox News viewer, could then watch the broadcast PDB whenever he wanted.
A new PDB could include not only graphics and pictures but also maps with animated representations of exploding bombs, similar to a video game, another one of the people with knowledge of the discussions said.
NBC said its sources were “five people with direct knowledge of the discussions.”
Not surprisingly, MAGA is big mad and attacking the reporting.
For example, NBC News included this White House response in its report:
Asked for comment, DNI Press Secretary Olivia Coleman said in a statement, “This so-called ‘reporting’ is laughable, absurd, and flat-out false. In true fake news fashion, NBC is publishing yet another anonymously sourced false story.”
Also this:
In a statement, White House Spokesman Davis Ingle referred to this reporting as “libelous garbage from unnamed sources,” and said, “President Trump has assembled a world-class intelligence team who he is constantly communicating with and receiving real time updates on all pressing national security issues. Ensuring the safety and security of the American people is President Trump’s number one priority.”
C&L’s Chris Capper Liebenthal, who bravely wades into the Musk platform so I don’t have to, told me the White House spokespeople are having fits, furiously trying to deny the story. For example:
But I have yet to see any specific denial of Trump’s lack of interest in intelligence briefings or the idea of making them more Fox News-like to keep his attention.
Because NBC News almost certainly reported the truth and the Trump loyalists can’t deal with the fact that we have a figurehead “president” who has outsourced his job, including a military strike on Yemen, to such awful people as Elon Musk and Stephen Miller.
