Kellyanne Conway explains why Donald Trump is apparently skipping most intelligence briefings
Last week, The Washington Post reported that President-elect Donald Trump has had only two intelligence briefings since the election, a notable shift from the daily briefings President Obama and former President George W. Bush made room for between their elections and taking office. On CNN's State of the Nation, Trump senior aide Kellyanne Conway did not exactly deny the report. "So, he is receiving classified intelligence briefings, and the president-elect is also receiving information through his personal and on-the-phone meetings with over what's now 41 world leaders," she told CNN's Dana Bash, "in addition to meeting with 60 men and women who could serve in his government."
Bash asked again if Trump had turned down classified briefings, and Conway said she "can't discuss that publicly," but that Trump is "the most engaged individual I've ever met, and brilliant to boot, and he is certainly availing himself of the information that is provided to him from a number of sources, including those intelligence briefings." But shouldn't he be getting daily briefings, "especially given the fact that President-elect Trump has no experience in government or the military?" Bash asked. Conway said Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence "are receiving a steady stream of information, including intelligence, that will further prepare them" to be president and vice president. Pence has been making room for intelligence briefings almost every day, The Washington Post reported. Watch the interview below. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Political cartoons for November 22Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include Trump's autopen, war for oil rebranded, and more
-
Hitler: what can we learn from his DNA?Talking Point Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator is the latest documentary to posthumously diagnose the dictator
-
Government shutdown: why the Democrats ‘caved’In the Spotlight The recent stalemate in Congress could soon be ‘overshadowed by more enduring public perceptions’
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
-
Trump says he will sell F-35 jets to Saudi ArabiaSpeed Read The president plans to make several deals with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week
-
Judge blasts ‘profound’ errors in Comey caseSpeed Read ‘Government misconduct’ may necessitate dismissing the charges against the former FBI director altogether
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
