Statecraft

'Fearful' national security officials prepare for major shift in US policy

Surveys of the US military show substantial support for Trump, which also exists within the FBI. The federal immigration agents’ union endorsed Trump.

Other officials said they believed that the realities of office would force Trump to moderate his positions, or expressed confidence that the national security bureaucracy was sufficiently resilient to check presidential overreach.

While Congress passed a law in 2015 designed to prevent a return to CIA torture, human rights activists have long observed that torture was illegal before 9/11.

But several wondered if they would be able to serve in a Trump administration –particularly if instructed to transgress moral or legal boundaries meant to protect civil rights and liberties.