Staff Reports
Former President Donald Trump has decided to play hardball with the intelligence community, opting out of the traditional briefings offered to presidential nominees. The reasoning is as straightforward as a Trump rally chant—an unwillingness to be painted as a potential leaker of classified info. Considering the circus that was the FBI’s little field trip to Mar-a-Lago, it’s not hard to see why Trump might think aligning with federal agencies could set him up for a fall.
In a world where Democrats have turned leaking classified information into a favorite pastime, one can’t blame the former president for exhibiting a little skepticism. After all, what would be the headline if Trump did decide to sit down for a briefing? Probably something along the lines of “Trump Leaked Secrets During Closed Door Meeting—Sources Say.” So, why bother? The so-called “briefing” is not even legally required, and with Joe Biden’s history of denying Trump access to literally everything post-presidency, this decision raises eyebrows only if one wishes to adhere to the standard Democratic playbook of character assassination.
President Trump is refusing intelligence briefings because the Deep State continues to try and sabotage him:
“They come in, they give you a briefing and then two days later they leak it and then they say you leaked it. The only way to solve that problem is not to take them.” pic.twitter.com/8UEhoE2Qsm
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) August 22, 2024
The Democrats have been singing the same old tune, dragging out claims about Trump’s “trustworthiness” with sensitive information. It’s like the boy who cried wolf, but instead of a wolf, it’s accusations flying from a party that seems more concerned with diverting attention than protecting national security not to mention the irony of these claims coming from a party whose members have, shall we say, a colorful history with classified information.
These presidential briefing sessions started back in the 1950s when Harry S. Truman thought it was essential to have candidates in the know, particularly during the Cold War. But in our current age, the whole setup might just be a ruse to make a certain dapper ex-president look untrustworthy. Let’s be real: the Democrats would have loved to paint him as that guy who spills secrets over coffee while conveniently ignoring their leaking of sensitive information.
While it’s true that these briefings are crafted to cater to the nuances of a nominee’s interests, one has to wonder if the ‘interests’ of the current administration would even align with Trump’s. Chances are, they wouldn’t include topics like gas prices or southern border policies. So unless one is rolling out the red carpet for leftist hot takes or radical climate policies, it’s not likely they don’t want Trump to be well-informed anyway.
So here’s the kicker: Trump’s cautious approach might just outsmart the very system built to prepare future presidents. By saying no to the briefings, he is keeping the narrative firmly in his control while letting his detractors shout into the void. Given the intentions of his opponents, stepping away from the table is less a sign of weakness and more akin to strategically pulling out of a game where the rules are made up to favor those who play against him.
