President-elect Donald Trump has begun receiving intelligence briefings, following his previous reluctance to engage with them during his campaign, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) initiated these briefings after the election, continuing a tradition established by President Harry Truman in 1952 to ensure a smooth transition of power.
An ODNI spokesperson confirmed that providing intelligence briefings to presidents-elect has been standard practice since 1952 but declined to comment on whether Trump has fully embraced them. A representative of Trump’s transition team did not confirm his participation. Before his initial election in 2016, Trump had stated he avoided intelligence briefings to prevent accusations of leaking information.
Trump’s relationship with the intelligence community has been contentious. In 2016, he openly criticized the integrity of U.S. spy agencies. Now, as he prepares to return to the White House, he faces fresh scrutiny for alleged mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Federal prosecutors accused him of improperly storing sensitive materials but are expected to drop charges following his election victory. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, asserting his right to possess the documents.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to overhaul U.S. intelligence agencies, accusing them of corruption and anti-democratic behavior. “We will clean out all of the corrupt actors in our national security and intelligence apparatus,” he declared, vowing sweeping reforms to what he described as “weaponized” departments.
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