Ex-CIA Chief Warns: Trump Puts US at Risk
Leon E. Panetta, December 2011. Photo by R. D. Ward. Public domain.
It's the kind of warning that might've once rattled Washington — a seasoned CIA director saying the commander in chief is ignoring the very people tasked with keeping America safe.
But in Donald Trump's second term, even alarm bells from a man who once held the nation's top intelligence post are sounding more like background noise.
Leon Panetta, who served as CIA director under Barack Obama, recently issued a rare and direct rebuke of President Trump's handling of national security intelligence — and his words should not be dismissed lightly.
Bombs Over Briefings?
The firestorm began after a controversial U.S. military operation, a series of airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, drew headlines and questions in equal measure. The strikes, carried out in coordination with Israel, targeted enrichment facilities believed to be critical to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Trump described the mission as a total success, claiming it "obliterated" Iran's capabilities, according to PressBee.
But a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment told a different story: the strikes had only delayed Iran's program by months, not years. The response from the White House was swift — and dismissive. Trump labeled the assessment "fake news," and even his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, adjusted her analysis post-factum to align with the president, according to PressBee.
Panetta didn't mince words. "It undermines the work of our intelligence professionals who really are focused on trying to provide the president with the truth. When the president questions their credibility, that certainly undermines their morale, I'm sure," he said, according to the Independent.
More alarming, he added, was the precedent being set. "If he rejects the intelligence he's receiving, then what will be the basis for the decisions that he makes in the future?" Panetta asked, according to The Hill. "And that is a very scary prospect."
Is National Security Now Optional?
For critics, this episode is just the latest in a pattern of Trump disregarding — or flat-out contradicting — intelligence briefings. From his early days in office, Trump has consistently feuded with national security officials, raising concerns not just about policy decisions but about how secrets are handled at the highest levels.
During his first term, Trump was accused of revealing classified information to Russian officials in the Oval Office. He tweeted out sensitive spy satellite images of Iran. He even reportedly demanded his interpreter's notes after a private meeting with Vladimir Putin.
More recently, a leaked Signal chat revealed that top Trump officials discussed classified military operations just hours before a strike on Yemen — with a journalist accidentally included in the conversation.
Allies Watch With Unease
Panetta's concerns go beyond domestic governance. He believes Trump's unpredictability poses a real risk to global stability.
"There's no question that when the U.S. president makes a statement that our intelligence assessments are wrong and doesn't believe our own intelligence, that creates a very dangerous moment," Panetta said, according to the Independent.
He warned that NATO allies and adversaries alike are watching how the US handles intelligence. If they see inconsistency or impulsiveness, it could embolden leaders like Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong-un, or fracture trust among long-time partners.
"I don't think there's any alternative but to understand how dangerous a world we live in right now," Panetta added, according to PressBee.
The White House Responds — Sort Of
The Trump administration has pushed back aggressively on Panetta's statements. A White House spokesperson dismissed the criticism, pointing to Panetta's role in crafting the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under Obama — a policy Trump has long lambasted as a historic failure.
"Obama administration officials like Leon Panetta oversaw the disastrous 2015 Iran nuclear deal, so no one takes them seriously," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, according to The Hill.
Flying Blind Into the Future?
At the heart of this battle is a fundamental question: Can a president govern effectively while disregarding the very institutions designed to inform his decisions?
Panetta, who also served as Defense Secretary and Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton, says no.
"I have always been confident about our intelligence assessments with regards to Iran," he said, according to The Hill. "The fundamental question is: Did they make a decision to proceed with developing a weapon? And I think our intelligence indicates that that still was not the case."
References: 'I ran the CIA – these are Trump's mistakes and why they're so scary' | This Isn't Trump’s First Intelligence Crisis—But the Damage This Time Is Different | Panetta: Trump contradicting intelligence assessments 'a very scary prospect' | Former CIA director says people must understand 'how dangerous a world we live in right now' in the wake of Trump's Iran strike
