Above is most of my portion of the last evaluation report that I received in the State Department's Intelligence and Research Bureau. I've only included the paragraphs in which I describe the challenges I faced as a result of Donald Trump's presidency. I was just one of thousands of senior government officials facing the leadership problems that inevitably arise when dedicated public servants who are committed to democracy find themselves working under a profoundly anti-democratic President.
We now know that Trump's scorn for public service was not limited to the intelligence community. We now know that throughout his life and his presidency Trump has been scornful of our military personnel, with special hostility for those who have been killed or wounded in action. He calls them "suckers," "losers," and "dopes." It is really unfortunate that so many American military personnel and veterans voted for this cowardly anti-American draft dodger. On election day we have the opportunity to correct this grave mistake.
Regarding Trump's statements about the intelligence community and Nazis, here's one:
Regarding Trump's statements about the intelligence community and Nazis, here's one:
Trump repeated this comparison in a press conference:
On Wednesday, however, Mr. Trump defended the reference in his news conference. Repeating his criticism of the intelligence agencies for allowing the release of what he said was erroneous information about him, he said, “I think it’s a disgrace, and I say that — and I say that, and that’s something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do.” From:
Here is video clip of General Clapper (former Director of National Intelligence) discussing Trump's comparison of the intelligence community to Nazis:
Here is a report on former CIA Director Brennan's reaction to Trump's comparison of the U.S. intelligence community to Nazi Germany:
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/cia-brennan-trump-nazi-germany-233636
Here is the article by Lieutenant General Barno "A Moral Guide to Serving in the Trump Administration" that I referred to in my evaluaiton report:
https://warontherocks.com/2016/11/a-moral-guide-to-serving-in-the-trump-administration/
https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/cia-brennan-trump-nazi-germany-233636
Here is the article by Lieutenant General Barno "A Moral Guide to Serving in the Trump Administration" that I referred to in my evaluaiton report:
https://warontherocks.com/2016/11/a-moral-guide-to-serving-in-the-trump-administration/
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More like this to follow...
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ReplyDeleteWonderful Bill! I retired just a few months before the Trump Administration came in. I have heard from troubled colleagues. While at State I, and our former colleagues in the intelligence community too (I was privileged to see it and share in it during my nearly four years in INR) shared the great responsibility of helping our country right by helping move up the chain the best of the vast expertise that the US government has fostered within its ranks at great expense and effort over the years. Although bureaucracy gets a bad name, collegial sharing and discussion with State and with other USG colleagues, continues to be essential to avoid the avoidable errors. Some of the many mistakes of this administration are due to an unprecedented vandalism of essential bureaucratic process that previous administrations of both parties have always insisted upon. Many others not errors of process but due to aggressive ignorance at the very top.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill, very informative post. I have often wondered, prior to your retirement, how the State Dept. was coping with a president that obviously saw no need or relevance for the people that worked there. It must have been terribly demoralizing. I am sure other agencies in DC have had similar experiences, especially Dept. of Education. How people still support this man is beyond my comprehension. 73
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