Trump would reportedly 'show off' the capabilities of weapons systems he was briefed on to impress billionaires
Intelligence officials have had a difficult time briefing President Trump on matters throughout his presidency, The New York Times reports. He reportedly often loses interest, unless the subject is heavy on economics or could intrigue other wealthy people, which tended to concern the intelligence community.
In the latter scenario, one former senior administration official told The New York Times, Trump would "show off about some of the stuff he thought was cool," like the capabilities of different weapons system to billionaires. "These were super rich guys who wouldn't give him the time of day before he became president," the former official said. "He'd use that stuff as currency he had that they didn't, not understanding the implications."
What's more, Trump also filled his President's Intelligence Advisory Board with wealthy businesspeople, who would occasionally make briefers uncomfortable, one intelligence official said, because their questions sometimes "were related to their business dealings." Read more about the culture clash between Trump and the intelligence community at The New York Times.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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