Summary
Donald Trump has attended only 12 intelligence briefings in his first 100+ days of his second term, a steep decline from his already infrequent briefing schedule during his first presidency, POLITICO reports.
He began 2025 with just two in-person updates monthly, shifting to weekly in April.
Critics, including Sen. Mark Warner, say Trump’s disengagement endangers national security, as he also avoids reading detailed briefing materials.
His national security team is in turmoil, and recent cuts to CIA DEI programs have sparked fears of institutional regression and increased vulnerability to global threats.
Honestly, at this point I’d be willing to bet that those officials who actually still give half a shit about national security don’t give Trump anything that isn’t essentially public information already. Or at the very least, largely harmless if it does become public. It’s not like Trump would know or care about the difference.
Remember that multiple sources have said that during his first term, the Presidential Daily Briefings were largely little more than fluff pieces with pretty pictures, easy to understand words, and random references to him just to keep his attention, much like trying to keep a 3 year old occupied with a coloring book and a handful of crayons.
he was like this his first term too.