Trump reportedly plans to have Wall Street ally review intelligence agencies


Administration officials say President Trump is planning on appointing his friend Stephen A. Feinberg, the billionaire co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, to lead a review of U.S. intelligence agencies, The New York Times reported Wednesday night.
Feinberg is also close to Stephen Bannon, Trump's chief strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law. Trump has railed against the intelligence agencies since his campaign days, and on Wednesday he accused them of being the reason why Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser, resigned. (Trump actually asked him to step down after it was publicly reported that he had discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the U.S. and lied about it.)
Intelligence agents told The Times they are concerned that a review conducted by a Trump ally will curtail their independence. Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, former Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), is said to be especially angry over the move, which he views as an attempt to marginalize him before he's even confirmed. The White House has not announced the broad intelligence review and would not comment, but Feinberg did tell his company's shareholders that he is in discussions to join the administration.
Subscribe to 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.
Feinberg was reportedly also considered for two high-profile jobs — director of national intelligence and chief of the CIA's clandestine service, positions that are traditionally given to career intelligence officers and not friends of the president — and there is concern that this appointment is a first step toward placing him in a top intelligence position. As The Times wryly notes, Feinberg doesn't have any national security experience, but his private equity firm does have stakes in a private security company and two gun makers.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
May 28 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - feeding the rich, stock market sermons, and more
-
Labubu: the 'creepy' dolls sparking brawls in the shops
In the Spotlight Craze for the pint-sized soft toys has reached fever pitch among devotees
-
The top period dramas to stream now
The Week Recommends Heaving bosoms and billowing shirts are standard fare in these historical TV classics
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges
-
Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar
speed read Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war prompted Trump to post that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders
-
Judge scolds DOJ over Newark mayor arrest
speed read Ras Baraka was arrested during a May 9 surprise visit to a migrant detention facility
-
Trump lectures South Africa president on 'white genocide'
speed read Trump has cut off aid to South Africa over his demonstrably false genocide claims
-
Trump twists House GOP arms on megabill
speed read The bill will provide a $350 billion boost to military and anti-immigration spending and 'cuts to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy programs'
-
Trump DOJ said to pay $5M to family of Jan. 6 rioter
speed read The US will pay a hefty sum to the family of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot on January 6