Intel Chiefs Use Economics, Pictures To Hammer Home Trump’s Security Briefings

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: (L-R) FBI Director Christopher Wray; CIA Director Gina Haspel; Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats; Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Gen. Paul Naka... WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: (L-R) FBI Director Christopher Wray; CIA Director Gina Haspel; Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats; Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency; and Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency await testify at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" January 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. The intelligence leaders discussed North Korea, Russia, China and cybersecurity among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump’s intelligence chiefs have adapted the security briefings to catch his interest and accomodate his attention span by including the underlying economics of terrorist threats and pepping up the presentations with pictures and charts.

According to a Sunday New York Times report, Trump is primarily interested in which country is gaining financial footholds over the others, and he has reduced his “daily” intelligence briefing to twice weekly.

He also has a pet obsession with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and frequently asks for updates on her political moves, per the Times.

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: