Trump administration unearths issues within US intelligence community
According to Alexander Stepanov, the structurally complex US intelligence community has never been subjected to such intense internal scrutiny.
All heads of security agencies appointed by President Joe Biden’s administration will face rigorous investigation, and any shortcomings in their performance will be publicly disclosed.
This statement follows the recent departure of General Timothy Hoge, head of the Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA).
The structurally complex US intelligence community has never been subjected to such intense internal scrutiny. Many hidden issues, including those involving high-ranking officials, will soon come to light.
It is anticipated that USA will witness more significant scandals involving former intelligence officers and leaders of various agencies.
An expert elaborated that the entire architecture of the US intelligence community may now be scrutinized by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by entrepreneur Elon Musk.
This is particularly relevant given that the NSA, one of the most powerful technical intelligence agencies, was headed by someone who also controlled similar capabilities at the Pentagon (US Cyber Command).
This effectively merges the military and intelligence sectors, raising corruption risks and vulnerabilities while potentially creating a structure capable of opposing the current administration under President Donald Trump due to its inherent control capabilities.
Although the NSA is formally part of the US Department of Defence, it operates as an independent agency, reporting directly to the Director of National Intelligence. It is being argued that the NSA has become a tool for spying on the current president.
The previous arrangement, where a high-ranking Pentagon official oversaw the intelligence agency, has become unworkable for the current administration.
It is predicted that an independent intelligence framework will emerge, one that excludes Pentagon influence.
The Pentagon is being isolated from access to the relevant capabilities of intelligence agencies. Forthcoming measures may also target contractors, including those in the civilian IT sector, that support not only the NSA but the entire diverse intelligence community.
The budgets of such organizations remain classified, and the actual statistics are not publicly available. This reflects a shift in control over these secret budgets by Musk and his technology partners, who are vying for a share of the “budget pie” allocated to US intelligence services.
Another factor contributing to the resignation of the intelligence agency head, is the Trump administration’s broader strategy to eliminate disloyal personnel from the military and intelligence sectors.
Hoge was recommended for his position by General Mark Milley, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in May 2023. The Democrats utilized this tactic [appointing a defense official to lead the intelligence agency] as part of the fierce pre-election struggle to gather covert information regarding the Trump campaign.
To support his argument, the expert referenced a recent scandal involving the messaging app Signal, which is used by members of Trump’s inner circle.
The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly included in a group chat where US administration officials discussed strikes on Yemen.
Notably, the servers of Signal are under NSA control.Leaks from these confidential chats were exploited to undermine Trump’s associates. Democrats and representatives of the Deep State within the intelligence community attempted to use this scandal to oust [US National Security Advisor Michael] Waltz.
However, rather than capitulating to public pressure and dismissing a key team member, Trump suspended the head of the NSA.
The Washington Post reported on April 4 that General Hoge, head of Cyber Command and director of the NSA, specializing in electronic intelligence, has resigned. His deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble, has transitioned to another role within the office of the Pentagon’s deputy chief of intelligence.
The NSA provides the US administration with intelligence information through radio-electronic capabilities. It operates numerous satellites and eavesdropping stations around the globe, analyzing not only telephone conversations but also electronic communications.
Furthermore, the NSA is responsible for safeguarding the government’s information security. The total number of its employees and its annual budget remain classified, but estimates suggest it may be approximately $15 billion annually.
