The obvious irony is that Nicolle Wallace, a media figure, is platforming John Brennan, a former CIA director, to decry “dangerous and insidious corruption” in the Trump administration, while their cozy relationship exemplifies the revolving door between U.S. intelligence and media. Brennan claims the firing of experienced analysts like Collins and Riekhof, each with 30 years in intelligence, is “a very tangible example of such dangerous and insidious corruption within the Trump administration,” conveniently ignoring how intelligence agencies have historically shaped narratives through media allies like Wallace and the corruption embedded in such long tenures within the intelligence community. This exchange is not about exposing corruption of the Trump administration but about established power structures, like the CIA, intelligence community, and media, protecting their own interests—a clear example of the corrupt ties binding the CIA, media, and political agendas.
Watch Nicolle read her intel/CIA propaganda.
Transcript-
Nicole Wallace: “Collins has spent three decades in the intelligence community, has served as chief of staff for the CIA’s deputy director, starting his career as an analyst focused on East Asia. Uh, Langan-Reikof has also, um, served more than 30 years, has more than 30 years’ experience in the intelligence community, including as an expert on the Middle East. Um, the ODNI previously listed her as an exceptional analyst. She also previously served as director of the Strategic Futures Group at the National Intelligence Council. Um, seasoned, apolitical, proven trusted intelligence officials fired today by Tulsi Gabbard, Director Brennan.”
Ex-CIA Director John Brennan: “Yeah, this whole thing just makes me livid. It’s appalling and outrageous and demonstrates why Tulsi Gabbard never should have been confirmed as Director of National Intelligence. Michael Collins and Maria Langan-Riekhof are two of the most experienced, accomplished, and talented analysts in the entire U.S. intelligence community with over 60 years of combined experience. They have worked for successive administrations since the 1990s. They have demonstrated time and time again their capabilities, their competence, their integrity. And they have served as role models for a generation of intelligence officers inside of CIA. They’re CIA officers by background and by training. And this is going to have real reverberations within the workforce because, as Congressman Himes (D) pointed out, it’s clearly a signal to tell analysts throughout the intelligence community: You tell the truth, you provide objective analysis as you’re supposed to be doing, you are running the risk of getting fired. And Michael and Maria are really the quintessential analysts that you want to have, providing insight and information analysis to policymakers so they make the right decisions for U.S. policymakers.
But this is a very tangible example of such dangerous and insidious corruption within the Trump administration. They are now manipulating the instruments of government that are used to keep this country safe. And again, the sacking of these two individuals, the very competent capable officers who have been revered by a generation of intelligence analysts within the agency and across the community because of their accomplishments. This again sends a very clear and chilling signal to others that this is a new day. And if you’re going to carry out your responsibilities professionally, with competence, and with integrity, you are going to be in the crosshairs of this administration, absolutely appalling.”
This is a new day. At least he got that right. At the very end, after Brennan’s rant, Wallace asked him to “pull the curtain back,” meaning to reveal hidden truths. The idea that a former CIA director appointed by Barack Obama would expose hidden truths on a mainstream media platform parroting their propaganda is laughably absurd.
Brennan’s claim that this “demonstrates why Tulsi Gabbard never should have been confirmed as Director of National Intelligence” reveals their agenda to protect the long-standing influence of established power structures, such as the CIA, intelligence community, and mainstream media. Far from exposing corruption, this discussion is a tangible example of the tight connections between the CIA, media, and political agendas—their dangerous and insidious corruption.