THE ART OF THE DEAL

Trump Claims His Generals ‘Don’t Understand Business’: NYT

Reportedly frustrated natsec officials with unwillingness to listen to non-economic issues.

It’s well-known that President Trump has publicly clashed with intelligence officials—but he’s also privately complained that the generals who brief him on national-security issues “don’t understand business,” according to a Sunday report from The New York Times. The Times reports Trump has demanded that his briefings focus on economic issues, frustrating briefers who believe that he won’t listen to crucial information about non-economic national-security threats, like terrorism. He’s also cut down on the amount of intelligence briefings he receives, slashing the formerly once-daily meetings to a few times a week. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) told the Times that he’s concerned about the consequences of Trump publicly and privately bashing his briefers. “The problem,” he said, “is the message sent to agencies: ‘Don’t tell me information I don’t want to hear.’”

NOT A BOOKWORM

Trump Gets Oral Intel Briefing Without Text