Journalist Sarah Carter recently discussed a private meeting at CIA headquarters from 2016, revealing that then-CIA Director John Brennan questioned her about President Donald Trump and Michael Flynn. During her appearance on a podcast, she recounted a 45-minute interview in December 2016, where Brennan asked her what she thought of Trump and Flynn. Carter’s response was somewhat evasive: she asked him how he wanted her to feel about them, which, she noted, marked the end of their small talk.
This discussion touches on the FBI’s 2016 investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane, which looked into Russian interference in the election and its connections to Trump’s campaign, including Flynn. At that time, Brennan was leading the CIA under the Obama administration.
Flynn, who was set to be the national security adviser, was scrutinized for his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak about sanctions from the Obama era. Though Flynn’s identity was initially concealed in intelligence records, declassified documents later showed that Brennan had requested Flynn’s name be revealed. Flynn pleaded guilty in 2017 for lying about these discussions but received a pardon from Trump in 2020.
Carter also reflected on the 2016 meeting, suggesting that Brennan seemed interested in testing her political allegiance. She mentioned feeling that Brennan understood she wouldn’t easily be manipulated.
Currently, Carter is the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, often referred to as the “drug czar.” She expressed a commitment to combatting narco-terrorism, emphasizing the urgency of protecting American lives from the threats posed by drug trafficking.
