Trump's new deep state warrior

Politico

a day ago

With help from Daniel Lippman and Nahal Toosi
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President DONALD TRUMP has found a new weapon in his war on alleged bias and corruption in the U.S. intelligence community: Rep. RICK CRAWFORD (R-Ark.).
In recent weeks, the first-time chair of the House Intelligence Committee has been one of the most outspoken critics of spy agencies' conclusion that Russia meddled in the 2016 election, bashing the Obama-era analysis as 'garbage' and the 'greatest political fraud on the American people' in the last decade. Last month, he also turned the screws on CIA Director JOHN RATCLIFFE to force the release of a highly critical but partisan review of the Russia assessment — even though it contained sensitive information about U.S. spying.
Crawford's willingness to stand up against the so-called Russia hoax has endeared him to the president and won him plaudits from some corners of the administration — while unnerving intelligence officials and even some colleagues in the GOP who think the disclosures could harm U.S. spycraft long-term.
Crawford demonstrated his hardline bona fides early last month, when he publicly excoriated a July CIA review that he said was too soft on the 2016 Russia report. He then claimed credit for getting Trump to force Ratcliffe to release a harsher probe that included such sensitive intelligence that it was at one point locked behind a vault within a vault at the spy agency.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Crawford's recent actions on Russia.
The release of that probe, written by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee in 2020, delighted Trump and Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD, who touted it in a White House press conference last month as 'irrefutable evidence' the Obama administration was part of a 'treasonous conspiracy' to undermine Trump.
But the lightly redacted report described precise details on a U.S. spy who was close at the time to Russian leader VLADIMIR PUTIN and explosive but unverified Russian intelligence on HILLARY CLINTON that not only enraged Democrats but also alarmed intelligence officials, according to one senior U.S congressional aide and one former senior U.S intelligence official. The move even unnerved some House Republicans, per a senior U.S intelligence official and one former GOP congressional aide. These people were granted anonymity to speak candidly on the matter.
Sen. MARK WARNER (D-Va.), the vice chair of the Senate spy panel, last month decried the release of the HPSCI report as 'desperate and irresponsible,' claiming it 'puts at risk some of the most sensitive sources and methods our Intelligence Community uses to spy on Russia.' Warner and other Democrats also pointed out that a longer, bipartisan review from the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020 backed the intelligence community's findings.
A HPSCI spokesperson said it was the executive branch's — not Crawford's — call about how much information to redact or not.
A CIA spokesperson said the agency 'strongly supports' the release of the HPSCI report, and Ratcliffe is committed to bringing greater transparency to the intelligence community. The shorter review Ratcliffe put out earlier in July went to greater lengths to protect sensitive information.
An ODNI official said that while the agency would 'normally be required to consult' with other agencies about declassifications, Trump made the final decision — and as president, he 'is not under the same consultation obligations.'
In a lengthy statement, Crawford said that while he strives for bipartisanship, he will 'never apologize for pushing for more transparency for the American people,' adding: 'These efforts are required to rebuild the integrity of the IC and trust with the American people.'
The Inbox
HEADHUNT: The White House is reupping its search for a new chief of staff for Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH to replace acting chief of staff RICKY BURIA, who has clashed with White House officials, according to three people familiar with the matter, Daniel Lippman reports (for Pros!).
The White House's Presidential Personnel Office renewed its search for a top aide for Hegseth in the past few days, following Buria's attempt to fire Pentagon White House liaison MATT McNITT last week. Buria tried to take action against McNitt after he told Buria that he would never be chief of staff, according to the people. All were granted anonymity to speak candidly about personnel matters.
Since Hegseth's last chief of staff, JOE KASPER, left in April, Buria has effectively taken over the role. But he is widely distrusted in the White House.
Buria was present during the interview process for several candidates for the chief of staff role a few months ago, but none of them accepted the job, according to the people. This time around, the White House plans to have Hegseth more heavily involved in interviewing candidates himself without Buria's involvement, one of the people said.
Asked to comment on this reporting, White House spokesperson ANNA KELLY called it 'fake news.'
Pentagon spokespeople referred a request for comment to the White House. Buria and McNitt didn't respond to requests for comment.
TICK TOCK: Only three days remain until the White House's deadline for Moscow to reach a truce with Ukraine arrives — but Putin is calling Trump's bluff, Reuters' Darya Korsunskaya, Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan report today.
Three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin is unfazed despite threats of new sanctions and 100 percent tariffs on countries that purchase its oil. Putin is reportedly confident that Russia is winning in its yearslong fight against Ukraine and that the Russian economy will be able to weather the new sanctions.
The Kremlin did not dispel the notion that ongoing peace talks remain superficial, conditioning a possible meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY on the completion of unspecified 'work' in a Monday statement. But according to Bloomberg, Moscow is considering at least some concessions to Trump, with a possible air truce in Ukraine reportedly on the table.
That comes as special envoy STEVE WITKOFF is set to visit Russia as soon as tomorrow and as Trump spoke with Zelenskyy today ahead of the looming deadline. In a post on X, Zelenskyy called the meeting 'productive' and thanked Trump for his continued support of Ukraine, adding, 'Of course, we spoke about sanctions against Russia.'
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Keystrokes
IRAN CYBER: Cyber groups linked to Iran's government sought to sway public opinion and steal data during Iran's brief conflict with Israel this June, according to a new report.
SEPAHCYBERY, a group tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted a barrage of around 9,000 posts over 14 days on Iran's ability to strike Western targets and other topics. Other groups supportive of Iran's government were far more active, with one group posting 46,311 messages over 12 days.
A separate effort by a group known as Imperial Kitten to security researchers — also suspected of having ties to the IRGC — created websites with names that suggested support for Israel. The group then set up the websites such that they could be used to steal information.
The Complex
ALL QUIET ON THE GOLDEN FRONT: Hegseth has barred Pentagon officials from discussing Trump's shiny new Golden Dome missile defense system proposal at a major missile defense conference in Alabama this week, our colleague Joe Gould scooped this morning (for Pros!).
Many of the 7,000+ expected attendees arrived in Huntsville today with the hopes of hearing details about the multibillion-dollar project, event organizers told Joe. But Hegseth's public affairs office told organizers not to mention the initiative until a closed-door, unclassified briefing for industry on Thursday. As CNN's Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen reported last week, the Pentagon has scheduled its first major test of the system for the fourth quarter of 2028 – just before the next presidential election — delivering on the Trump administration's aggressive three-year timeline for getting the project off the ground.
But the missile defense system still faces major challenges: The defense appropriations bill approved last week by the Senate Appropriations Committee allocates no money for the project, which received $25 billion through the Republican-passed megabill.
CASH FOR GUNS: Denmark, Norway and Sweden said today that they are spending $500 million on U.S. weapons and munitions for Ukraine, one day after the Netherlands became the first to participate in the Trump administration plan.
The NATO announcement did not specify what types of weapons the money would be spent on. Sweden's Defense Ministry said that it would include air defense systems, including Patriot munitions, anti-tank systems, ammunition and spare parts. The Danish Defense in a separate statement said that it 'expected' its contribution to the $500 million pledge to go toward air defense and artillery.
The Netherlands on Monday announced a 500 million euro ($578 million) package for Ukraine. The money will partially go toward the delivery of Patriot air defense missiles, the Dutch Defense Ministry said.
The purchases are part of a plan announced in July by NATO Secretary General MARK RUTTE and Trump under which European NATO allies and Canada will pay the U.S. for weapons sent to Ukraine. U.S. Ambassador to NATO MATTHEW WHITAKER previously said that the Netherlands will be 'just the first of many' participants.
On the Hill
COTTON COMES FOR CAIR: Sen. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service earlier today calling on it to investigate the non-profit status of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy organization focused on advocating for and protecting Muslim Americans. In the letter, Cotton accused CAIR of having 'deep ties to terrorist organizations' and asked IRS Commissioner BILLY LONG to probe the organization's compliance with IRS rules prohibiting 501(c)(3) organizations from providing material support for terrorism.
'Tom Cotton's baseless demand that the IRS target a nonprofit organization based on debunked conspiracy theories is an un-American political stunt straight from McCarthy era and a dangerous tactic that congressional Republicans of a different era once opposed,' CAIR said in a statement shared with NatSec Daily.
The IRS declined to comment, citing restrictions on its ability to disclose information related to tax returns.
NEW ENGLAND BLOC DEFENDS DOCKS: Sen. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) is leading a new bipartisan bill that would prohibit layoffs and hiring freezes at the four public shipyards in the U.S. The bill aims to address logistical and personnel challenges that have hindered the Navy's ability to deliver on shipbuilding efforts on time.
Shaheen, along with Sens. MAGGIE HASSAN (D-N.H.), SUSAN COLLINS (R-Maine) and ANGUS KING (I-Maine), is also looking to protect Portsmouth, the Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard, which sits just off the New Hampshire-Maine border after a breakdown in communication between the Pentagon and the Office of Personnel Management led to dozens of workers there not starting work.
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Broadsides
TARIFF HIKE: Trump today threatened to raise tariffs 'very substantially' in the next 24 hours on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil.
India is 'fueling the war machine,' Trump said during an interview with CNBC, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'If they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy.' Russia is a top producer of energy, with money made from oil and gas accounting for nearly a third of Russian state revenue.
Trump separately said that Putin would 'stop killing people' if oil prices fell a further $10 a barrel. Today, Bloomberg reported declining Russian state revenue from oil due to a decline in its price. 'He's going to have no choice, because his economy stinks,' Trump said.
Still, the Russian government has proven resilient to economic shocks in the past, with the nation continuing to press its invasion into Ukraine while coping with an array of Western sanctions levied on it.
Transitions
— JEN EASTERLY, who led CISA under the Biden administration, is joining cybersecurity firm Huntress' advisory board. Easterly was fired from her role at West Point last week by Army Secretary DAN DRISCOLL after coming under fire from far-right activists, including LAURA LOOMER.
— ALYSSA PETTUS is departing her role as communications director for the House Select Committee on China; she'll be senior vice president for communications at the Export-Import Bank beginning Aug. 11.
— JACKIE KOO has joined Mastercard as director of government affairs and policy. She most recently served as chief of staff and senior manager for global public policy at Boeing.
— STEPHANIE THARP is joining Sigma Defense Systems as vice president of programs for its Innovative Mission Solutions Division. She was most recently a senior adviser for NAVWAR.
— PATRICK FLOOD is now a principal on the national security team of Cornerstone Government Affairs.
— JAKE LEVINE, who previously worked on the National Security Council under the Biden administration, is running for Congress in California.
What to Read
— Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times:Mike Huckabee, Israel's Passionate Defender as Gaza War Drives Allies Away
— Rob Geist Pinfold, Foreign Policy:Israel Isn't a Hegemon Yet, But It's Now a Revisionist Power
— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic: The Islamic Republic Was Never Inevitable
— Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker:Israelis Are Starting to Talk About Famine in Gaza
Tomorrow Today
— Center for a New American Security, 9:30 a.m.: Countering China's Digital Silk Road: Kenya
— Aspen Institute, 3:30 p.m.: Advancing America's Prosperity
Thanks to our editors, Rosie Perper and Emily Lussier, who may unfairly call our analysis questionable — but never 'garbage'!