Trump's resistance led intel agencies to brief him less and less on Russia (2020)

[TomCADem]

While Fox News and other right wing continue to gas light Americans that Trump and Republicans were assertive on Russia, it seems like only a year ago, Republicans did not really care that Trump repeatedly blew off briefings about the threats represented by Russia.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/politics/trump-intel-briefings-russia/index.html

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's resistance to intelligence warnings about Russia led his national security team, including those who delivered the President's Daily Brief to brief him verbally less often on Russia-related threats to the US, multiple former Trump administration officials who briefed Trump, were present for briefings and who prepared documents for his intelligence briefings tell CNN.

As the White House denies Trump was briefed about Russia placing bounties on US soldiers in Afghanistan, which CNN has confirmed was included in the written PDB this spring, the question of what the President knew and when has moved to center stage. And it brings Trump's aversion to hearing negative analysis about Russia into renewed focus.

Multiple former administration officials I spoke to for my upcoming book, "The Madman Theory: Trump Takes on the World," which will be published August 11 by Harper Collins, paint a picture of a President often unwilling to hear bad news about Russia.

According to one former senior intelligence official, the President's briefers had one simple rule with Trump: never lead with Russia.