Latest news with #Gabbard
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
To deliver intelligence to Trump, DNI Tulsi Gabbard eyes creative solutions
By any fair measure, Donald Trump's second term has been challenging for U.S. intelligence agencies. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, for example, recently fired the leaders of the National Intelligence Council because it dared to produce accurate information the president didn't like. That coincided with reports of a Trump appointee trying to politicize intelligence, the White House moving forward with a 'major downsizing' at U.S. intelligence agencies, and the president's recent decision to fire the leadership of the National Security Agency, a key intelligence gathering department, as well as the National Security Council's director for intelligence. But perhaps most important is the fact that Trump tends to ignore intelligence briefings and reports, as NBC News reported that Gabbard is exploring new ways to 'revamp' his intelligence briefings in order to bring them in line with 'how he likes to consume information.' From the report: One idea that's been discussed is possibly creating a video version of the PDB that's made to look and feel like a Fox News broadcast, four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. ... One idea that has been discussed is to transform the PDB so it mirrors a Fox News broadcast, according to four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. Under that concept as it has been discussed, the national intelligence director's office could hire a Fox News producer to produce it and one of the network's personalities to present it; Trump, an avid Fox News viewer, could then watch the broadcast PDB whenever he wanted. I can appreciate why this might seem amusing, but NBC News wasn't kidding. The same report noted that one insider envisioned a new presidential daily briefing that would include 'maps with animated representations of exploding bombs, similar to a video game,' apparently in the hopes of capturing the president's attention. 'The problem with Trump is that he doesn't read,' said one person with direct knowledge of the PDB discussions. Of course, that's only part of the problem. Not only does the Republican avoid reading briefing materials, he also doesn't want to receive in-person, oral presentations of intelligence, either. Politico reported last month that Trump, during his second term, 'has sat for just 12 presentations from intelligence officials of the President's Daily Brief,' which represents 'a significant drop' compared with the Republican's first term, and a vastly smaller number than the presentations for recent Democratic presidents. Time will tell whether Gabbard's creative solutions are implemented — how intelligence officials would give a Fox News producer the necessary security clearance would be an interesting challenge — but hanging overheard is the inconvenient fact that Trump doesn't seem to want intelligence briefings. His record on this is long and unambiguous. During his transition process in 2016, for example, Trump skipped nearly all of his intelligence briefings. Asked why, the Republican told Fox News in December 2016, 'Well, I get it when I need it. ... I don't have to be told — you know, I'm, like, a smart person.' As his inauguration drew closer, Trump acknowledged that he likes very short intelligence briefings. 'I like bullets, or I like as little as possible,' he explained in January 2017. Around the same time, he added, 'I don't need, you know, 200-page reports on something that can be handled on a page.' Things did not improve once he was in power. In early 2017, intelligence professionals went to great lengths to try to accommodate the president's toddler-like attention span, preparing reports 'with lots of graphics and maps.' National Security Council officials eventually learned that Trump was likely to stop reading important materials unless he saw his own name, so they included his name in 'as many paragraphs' as possible. In August 2017, The Washington Post had a piece on then-White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, who struggled to 'hold the attention of the president' during briefings on Afghanistan. The article noted, '[E]ven a single page of bullet points on the country seemed to tax the president's attention span on the subject.' A Trump confidant said at the time, 'I call the president the two-minute man. The president has patience for a half-page.' In February 2018, the Post reported that Trump 'rarely, if ever' read the PDB prepared for him. Months later, the Post had a separate report noting that the CIA and other agencies devoted enormous 'time, energy and resources' to ensuring that Trump received key intelligence, but 'his seeming imperviousness to such material often renders 'all of that a waste.'' In early 2020, the Post reported that Trump missed the early alarms on the Covid threat in part because he 'routinely skips reading the PDB' and had 'little patience' for oral summaries of the intelligence. Exactly five years ago next week, The New York Times had a related report: The president veers off on tangents and getting him back on topic is difficult, they said. He has a short attention span and rarely, if ever, reads intelligence reports, relying instead on conservative media and his friends for information. He is unashamed to interrupt intelligence officers and riff based on tips or gossip. ... Mr. Trump rarely absorbs information that he disagrees with or that runs counter to his worldview, the officials said. Briefing him has been so great a challenge compared with his predecessors that the intelligence agencies have hired outside consultants to study how better to present information to him. It was an extraordinary revelation to consider: A sitting American president, in a time of multiple and dangerous crises, was so resistant to learning about security threats that his own country's intelligence officials sought outside help to figure out how to get him to listen and focus. Will Gabbard figure out a way to get Trump to care about information he doesn't want to receive? There's reason for skepticism. This post updates our related earlier coverage. This article was originally published on
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's briefings could get Fox News-style makeover with graphics, because he doesn't like to read
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The White House might change how President Trump gets his daily intelligence briefings. Tulsi Gabbard, who is working on this, wants to make the briefings look like a TV broadcast. The reason is that Trump doesn't like reading, as per the report by NBC News spoke to five people who know about the plan. One of the ideas is to hire a Fox News producer to help design the briefings. These new briefings might include maps, animations, and even exploding bombs to grab attention. Right now, the daily briefing is a digital document with text, some graphics, and has only read the briefing 14 times since becoming president, that's less than once a week. Past presidents used to read briefings much more often. 'The problem with Trump is that he doesn't read. He's on broadcast all the time', according to an NBC News report. Gabbard thinks Trump's habit of watching TV and not trusting intelligent people might be why he needs a different also said that even if the style of the briefing changes, the actual intelligence info will stay the same. When asked for a comment, Olivia Coleman, press secretary for the Director of National Intelligence, denied the whole thing. She said, 'This so-called reporting is laughable, absurd and flat-out false.'She also said NBC is sharing "another false story based on unnamed sources." Back in Trump's first term, the briefings were already changed to have fewer words and more images. Now, Gabbard is discussing even more changes, including some unusual ideas, as per the report by NBC House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Trump has a top intelligence team and gets live updates all the time. He also said that Trump's top priority is keeping Americans safe and secure, as per reports say he doesn't like to read long only the way it's shown might change, not the actual info.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
White House may ‘jazz up' Trump's briefings as he ‘doesn't like reading'
The White House's intelligence chief is said to be considering turning Donald Trump's routine briefings into a Fox News-style broadcast, with animations of exploding bombs, to make it easier for him to follow. Tulsi Gabbard is looking to revamp the president's daily brief so it mirrors a television broadcast because 'he doesn't read', NBC News reported, having spoken to five people with direct knowledge of the discussion. One idea includes hiring a Fox News producer to produce a briefing that could include maps and animations of exploding bombs. Currently, the president's daily brief is a digital document that includes written text as well as graphics and images. Mr Trump has read the daily brief 14 times since his inauguration, or on average less than once a week – less than his predecessors. 'The problem with Trump is that he doesn't read,' one source told NBC. 'He's on broadcast all the time.' Ms Gabbard believes that cadence and a distrust of intelligence officials, which stretches back to his first term, may reflect his preference for consuming information in a different form, the sources said. They also said that even if the presentation of the president's daily brief changes, the information included would not. Asked for comment, Olivia Coleman, the press secretary of the director of national intelligence, said in a statement: 'This so-called reporting is laughable, absurd and flat-out false. In true fake news fashion, NBC is publishing yet another anonymously sourced false story.' The president's daily brief was tailored for Mr Trump in his first term to include less text and more pictures. Ms Gabbard is said to have discussed more changes, including entertaining some unconventional ideas, as part of reforming the briefing. Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, said: 'President Trump has assembled a world-class intelligence team, who he is constantly communicating with and receiving real time updates on all pressing national security issues. 'Ensuring the safety and security of the American people is President Trump's number one priority.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gabbard considering Fox News-style briefings for Trump as he 'doesn't read'
Top intelligence officials are contemplating ways to better tailor their briefings to President Donald Trump, which could involve an unprecedented shift to Fox News-style presentations. Several people familiar with the discussions told NBC News that National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is currently consulting various current and former intelligence officials to help make her briefings-called President's Daily Brief, or PDB-resonate better with the president, whom several claimed harbors a deep skepticism of the intelligence community. To make matters more difficult, the PBD is traditionally presented in a written format, which has proved difficult under the Trump administration as "the problem with Trump is that he doesn't read," one source claimed, making it an "a very uphill fight." He also has been taking fewer briefings on average than both Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Trump has only received 14 briefings thus far roughly over 130 days into his second term, which is far less than his first term, during which he had received 55 briefings within the same time frame. Meanwhile, in comparison, Biden received 90 and Obama received 63. While it is common for briefings to be tailored to a president's preferences, it would be unprecedented to make some of the changes being discussed. During his first term, Trump's intelligence team was advised to include fewer words and more images for the president's briefings, with Vice President Mike Pence allegedly telling briefers to "lean forward on maps," according to author John Helgerson. However, his second administration is reportedly considering wildly unheard-of ideas such as creating a Fox News-style briefing, which could involve hiring a Fox News anchor to host the presentation. If given the green light, the Fox News personality would have to undergo a process to obtain a high-level security clearance. White House officials have fiercely denied claims made in the NBC News report. White House Spokesman Davis Ingle slammed the report as "libelous garbage from unnamed sources" and DNI Press Secretary Olivia Coleman said it was "fake news," adding that the "so-called 'reporting' is laughable, absurd, and flat-out false." "President Trump has assembled a world-class intelligence team who he is constantly communicating with and receiving real time updates on all pressing national security issues," Ingle said in a statement. "Ensuring the safety and security of the American people is President Trump's number one priority." Given the "uphill fight," sources claim that Gabbard, an Afghan war veteran, has been open to such unconventional proposals. "There was bipartisan consensus that the PDB was in need of serious reform," a source familiar with the internal discussions said. "DNI Gabbard is leading that reform and is ensuring the President receives timely, relevant, objective intelligence reporting." The sources explained that the Fox News-style briefing option could be favorable given that President Trump is an avid watcher of the network and generally trusts its news personalities. Given the president's skepticism of the intelligence community, some are hopeful that a familiar face could soothe his concerns. Meanwhile, some lawmakers have expressed concern that doing so would further politicize the president's briefings to align with his pre-conceived beliefs and interests. The line of questioning comes as reports have surfaced claiming that Gabbard's Chief of Staff Joe Kent asked staff to revise their analysis of a Venezuelan criminal gang for potentially clashing with Trump's immigration policy. Reports have also surfaced alleging that two officials were fired "because they were unable to provide unbiased intelligence." "Absent evidence to justify the firings, the workforce can only conclude that their jobs are contingent on producing analysis that is aligned with the president's political agenda, rather than truthful and apolitical," Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, warned in a statement to NBC News. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gabbard considering ways to revamp Trump's intelligence briefing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's intelligence chief is exploring ways to revamp his routine intelligence briefing in order to build his trust in the material and make it more aligned with how he likes to consume information, according to five people with direct knowledge of the discussions. As part of that effort, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has solicited ideas from current and former intelligence officials about steps she could take to tailor the briefing, known as the President's Daily Brief, or PDB, to Trump's policy interests and habits. One idea that's been discussed is possibly creating a video version of the PDB that's made to look and feel like a Fox News broadcast, four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. Currently, the PDB is a digital document created daily for the president and key Cabinet members and advisers that includes written text, as well as graphics and images. The material that goes into the classified briefing, and how it's presented, can shape a president's decision-making. According to his public schedule, since his inauguration Trump has taken the PDB 14 times, or on average less than once a week, which is less often than his recent predecessors — including himself during his first term. An analysis of their public schedules during that same timeframe — from their inauguration through May during their first year in office — shows that former President Joe Biden received 90 PDBs; Trump received 55; and former President Barack Obama received 63. The people with direct knowledge of the PDB discussions said Gabbard believes that cadence may be a reflection of Trump's preference for consuming information in a different form than the formal briefing, as well as his distrust of intelligence officials, which stretches back to his first term, when he accused them of spying on his 2016 campaign. They also said that even if the presentation of the PDB changes, the information included would not. Asked for comment, DNI Press Secretary Olivia Coleman said in a statement,'This so-called 'reporting' is laughable, absurd, and flat-out false. In true fake news fashion, NBC is publishing yet another anonymously sourced false story.' A source familiar with the DNI's internal deliberations said that during Gabbard's confirmation process in the Senate, 'there was bipartisan consensus that the PDB was in need of serious reform. DNI Gabbard is leading that reform and is ensuring the President receives timely, relevant, objective intelligence reporting.' In a statement, White House Spokesman Davis Ingle referred to this reporting as 'libelous garbage from unnamed sources,' and said, 'President Trump has assembled a world-class intelligence team who he is constantly communicating with and receiving real time updates on all pressing national security issues. Ensuring the safety and security of the American people is President Trump's number one priority.' It is not unusual for the PDB to be tailored to individual presidents. The PDB's presentation was adjusted for Trump in his first term to include less text and more pictures and graphics. Gabbard has discussed more extensive changes, according to the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. It's unclear how far her effort will go, but the people with direct knowledge of it said she has entertained some unconventional ideas. One idea that has been discussed is to transform the PDB so it mirrors a Fox News broadcast, according to four of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions. Under that concept as it has been discussed, the national intelligence director's office could hire a Fox News producer to produce it and one of the network's personalities to present it; Trump, an avid Fox News viewer, could then watch the broadcast PDB whenever he wanted. A new PDB could include not only graphics and pictures but also maps with animated representations of exploding bombs, similar to a video game, another one of the people with knowledge of the discussions said. 'The problem with Trump is that he doesn't read,' said another people with direct knowledge of the PDB discussions. 'He's on broadcast all the time.' The people with direct knowledge of the PDB discussions spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the internal deliberations. U.S. intelligence officials have created videos in the past to present information to presidents, including profiles of world leaders, for instance. Hollywood legend Charlton Heston narrated instructional films about highly classified topics for the Energy Department and the U.S. intelligence and military community. The films included information about nuclear weapons, requiring Heston to hold the highest relevant security clearance possible for at least six years. Former intelligence officials who worked in the first Trump administration said Trump preferred to be briefed verbally and to ask questions but would not read memos or other lengthy written material. During Trump's first term, the PDB evolved into a one-page outline of topics with a set of graphics, presented verbally by an intelligence officer about twice a week, according to a history of presidential briefings by John Helgerson. To accommodate Trump's style and preferences, Vice President Mike Pence told the briefers to 'lean forward on maps,' according to Helgerson's book. But there has not been a broadcast or cable news-style PDB presentation. While the PDB has gone through various transformations under different presidents since it was created in 1946, it has largely been in a written format that was then briefed to the president verbally. Gabbard has also discussed tailoring some of the content in the PDB to Trump's interests, such as including more information on economic and trade issues and less routine focus on the war in Ukraine, according to three of the people with direct knowledge of the PDB discussions. Including intelligence on issues the president particularly cares about is not unusual. The PDB for Biden included gender and climate change issues, one of those three people said. 'You shift with the priorities of the administration,' that person said, adding that because of Trump's distrust of the intelligence community, getting him to embrace the PDB 'is a very uphill fight.' As director of national intelligence, Gabbard oversees and approves the PDB. A large staff of analysts and other employees at the CIA compiles the PDB, creating detailed text, graphics and videos based on the latest intelligence gathered by America's spy agencies. NBC News has reported that Gabbard plans to move the office that prepares the PDB from the CIA's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, to the national intelligence director's office a few miles away in McLean — apparently to bolster her office's role in presenting intelligence to the president. The ODNI would need to expand its staff and acquire digital tools and other infrastructure to assemble the PDB, one of the five people familiar with the discussions said. If the PDB were to be converted to a video for Trump, it would still most likely be provided in something like its current form to other top administration officials who receive it, that person said. Because he has been taking the PDB a little less than once a week on average, Trump currently receives a product that one of the people familiar with the PDB discussions described as the 'best of' highlights from the past week, in addition to anything new that day. Discussions about potential changes to the PDB come amid questions about whether Gabbard may politicize the intelligence process, especially after her chief of staff, Joe Kent, asked analysts to revise an assessment on a Venezuelan criminal gang that appeared to undermine Trump's immigration policy, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. Two senior officials who led the National Intelligence Council were recently fired after the initial intelligence assessment contradicted Trump's assertions that the Tren de Aragua cartel was operating under the direction of Venezuela's regime, led by Nicolás Maduro. Trump cited claims about the regime's purported relationship with the cartel as his rationale for invoking a rarely used 1798 law, the Alien Enemies Act, to deport people suspected of being gang members without standard due process. It's common for intelligence leaders to put their own staffs in place, but the move concerned congressional Democrats who already questioned some of Gabbard's efforts to have tighter control over what intelligence reaches Trump. 'Absent evidence to justify the firings, the workforce can only conclude that their jobs are contingent on producing analysis that is aligned with the president's political agenda, rather than truthful and apolitical,' Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. An administration official previously told NBC News that the two officials were fired 'because they were unable to provide unbiased intelligence.' This article was originally published on
