It’s frightening to imagine what Donald Trump could do with the CIA in a second term

Douglas London – CNN

Could a reelected former President Donald J. Trump use the CIA’s unique authorities, capabilities and insulation from public scrutiny to take action against his political enemies?

The answer was “yes” well before Trump’s lawyer argued that he would be immune from prosecution for directing SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival — unless first impeached and convicted by Congress. In fact, it would be even easier for Trump to turn the CIA into his own Praetorian Guard.

Last March, the former president told supporters at a political rally, “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.” What could be better than a powerful and elite secret organization insulated from public scrutiny, whose rules he can rewrite with near impunity to defile the Constitution?

The CIA’s operating guidelines have been primarily set by executive orders which can be changed with the stroke of a pen — and for good reason. As the nation’s first line of defense and collector of last resort, its size and flexibility facilitates innovation and the authority to quickly realign resources.

This structure enabled the CIA to deploy personnel to Afghanistan well ahead of the military after 9/11 and to respond to the 2014 threat posed by the Islamic State. Albeit with less public notoriety, the CIA has been at the forefront of US national efforts to support Ukraine and deter China’s possible invasion of Taiwan.

While the CIA is subject to oversight, neither the Senate nor House can approve or disapprove their activities and at most, can deny funding. Moreover, the president’s communications with the CIA are classified and protected by executive privilege. Although appropriately cleared members of Congress are apprised of presidential findings through a Memorandum of Notification, they are not at liberty to publicly debate or countermand such sensitive covert action programs.

Don’t expect pushback from GOP

There’s also little likelihood Trump’s fellow GOP leaders would push back. Despite the indictments Trump faces for inciting violence on January 6, mishandling classified documents and fraud, his 2024 candidacy has been endorsed by 19 Republican senators as well as the House leadership and 7 governors. (Trump denies wrongdoing.)

Frankly, no foreign threat I ever encountered across four decades as a CIA operations officer frightened me as much as GOP Representative Elise Stefanik, the fourth-ranking member of the House leadership, parroting Trump’s reference to those being prosecuted for beating police officers with fire hydrants and American flags on January 6th — after dragging them down the Capitol steps — as “hostages.”

The CIA offers a wide array of collection, investigative, surveillance, technical and kinetic capabilities that mirror those of the country’s larger defense, diplomatic, security and law enforcement agencies but with flatter management and without the public footprint. And therein lies the temptation for abuse.

As illustrated by the 1970’s Church Committee hearings and by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, the agency’s capabilities have too often been used to serve a president’s political interests, rather than the nation’s security.

It was not until President Ronald Reagan issued Executive Order 12333 (E.O 12333) in 1981 that a framework was established for the country’s national intelligence efforts to safeguard Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. President George W. Bush revised and reissued the order in 2008 to better align it to the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act that established the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).