In a petty act of retaliation, President Donald Trump banned Obama-era director of national intelligence James Clapper from attending a CIA graduation ceremony for a bomb-sniffing dog he sponsored and named after his late wife.
The dog, Susan, is described as an “adorable” golden retriever named after Clapper’s wife, who volunteered at an animal shelter and passed away in 2023 after supporting the former intelligence chief throughout five decades of service, The Atlantic reports.
Clapper, 84, sponsored Susan since she was a pup and put her through service dog training, where she excelled at sniffing concealed explosives and was recruited by the CIA.
The former intelligence chief was invited to the graduation ceremony in Virginia and was looking forward to attending. But just a day before the event in May he found himself struck off the guest list and banned from the premises, reportedly due to an executive order signed by Trump.
Trump’s dislike of Clapper stretches back years, with the president accusing the ex-director of perpetuating what he calls “the Russia hoax” on behalf of the “deep state,” referring to accusations the Kremlin interfered with the 2016 presidential election.
He immediately doubled-down on his grudge following his return to the White House, stripping Clapper and a number of other intelligence chiefs of their security clearance after they co-signed a letter suggesting the publication of incriminating emails found on Hunter Biden’s laptop may have been the result of a Russian disinformation campaign.
There appears to be no legitimate reason to bar Clapper from the event other than sheer pettiness, according to The Atlantic. The ceremony was not a classified event nor did it require security clearance, and pictures from the graduation of people proudly posing with their dogs were posted publicly on Facebook.
In addition to his grudge against Clapper, Trump also appears to hold a dislike of dogs in general. Unlike most of his predecessors he refused to adopt a dog during either of his terms in the White House, telling supporters “It feels a little phony to me.”
He is also known to refer to people as “dogs” as an insult, including Clapper himself who he once said “choked like a dog” during a Senate hearing about Russian interference.
