Intel & politics

Trump and CIA, you need each other

Every four to eight years, the CIA engages in a dance of seduction as it greets a new President-elect. The agency uses the transition, that interregnum between the election and the inauguration, to get to know the new President and discern from all sources what are the best ways to serve the President's needs. The CIA is always eager to put its best foot forward by showing its willingness to support the new President and his team, convince the new chief executive that it is worth the money in terms of manpower and budget, and look for ways to ingratiate itself with the new national security crowd.

However, this year things seem different. Rather than extensive courting, the transition to a Trump presidency seems to have all the charm of a hostile takeover.