The Blind Leading the Masked

“For decades, American presidents have relied on the expertise of foreign policy professionals to help guide them through tricky negotiations in high-stakes conflicts around the globe. President Trump has taken a different approach toward such experts: He’s fired them.” This is one of the reasons Putin gained a lot from last week’s negotiations and America gained nothing. NYT (Gift Article): ‘Flying Blind’: Trump Strips Government of Expertise at a High-Stakes Moment. (When you get rid of expertise, every moment becomes a high-stakes moment.)

+ And the beat goes on (and on and on). WaPo (Gift Article): Hegseth fires head of Defense Intelligence Agency, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse. This is the agency that reported “that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been set back only a matter of months.”

+ NYT (Gift Article): F.B.I. Plans to Lower Recruiting Standards, Alarming Agents. “The new plan, current and former agents say, seems to be part of a larger effort by Mr. Patel to have the bureau focus more on street crime, rather than on complicated cases touching on financial fraud, public corruption and national security. Doing so, they added, will erode the bureau’s reputation as an elite law enforcement agency, known for its selectiveness about its recruits.”

+ The National Guard on D.C. streets will soon be armed.

+ Trump suggests Chicago is next for federal crime crackdown, followed by New York City.