The Georgetown University professor, who spent 12 years as an intelligence analyst for the CIA, says that DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) efforts and the politicization of the intelligence community as a whole are “significant” issues, and that warned that it is confident that other agencies will continue to do so. Interfering with the 2024 election, similar to the 2020 operation.
“My guess is that the proverbial deep state will rise again within the intelligence community, perhaps because Republican candidates will once again be seen as a threat to the internal policies favored by many in the intelligence community.” said author Dr. John Gentry. ”“Neutralizing the CIA: Why U.S. Intelligence vs. Trump Has Long-Term Consequences,” he told FOX News Digital.
Within days of a shocking New York Post article detailing the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop in the run-up to the 2020 election, 51 former intelligence officials have attempted to discredit the laptop. “This laptop has all the classics,” he said, signing the letter. It's a sign of Russian intelligence operations. ”
The CIA approved the release of the infamous Hunter Biden laptop correspondence, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital in 2023.
CIA threatens Hunter Biden laptop with subpoena for records of disparaging letters
A former CIA analyst warns of polarization within the DEI and intelligence community. (Reuters)
Gentry told Fox News Digital that downplaying Hunter Biden's laptop was “obviously political” and that one high-ranking source “explicitly intended to help the Biden campaign.” He said he was told “in no uncertain terms” that it had been done.
He said there have already been signs in recent weeks that current and former members of the intelligence community will be active in 2024.
“I have long believed that we are likely to see former intelligence officials again politically active against President Trump and next year's Republican presidential candidates, and I expect leaks to resume.” “We're doing it,” Gentry said. A little earlier than expected, “original'' activities have already resumed.
Gentry pointed to recent articles Mark Polymeropoulos, a CIA official who retired in 2019 and co-directed Hunter Biden's laptop Open Letter, and Asha Rangappa, a former FBI official who warned of the dangers of Trump's campaign rhetoric. This is a comment from.
“Asha Rangappa used to work for the FBI and was openly anti-Trump, but as a relatively young former congressman, she didn't get as much attention as many,” Gentry said. “I think it's worth keeping a close eye on these people. Many have had their credibility undermined by actions such as the 'Laptop 51' letter.”
A big issue over the past few decades has been the introduction of DEI policies at major intelligence agencies, including the CIA, which shifted focus from day-to-day operations to a more “woke” political agenda, Gentry said.
“This was a half-century-old effort to bring more women and minorities into the intelligence community,” Gentry said. “This was done in the name of affirmative action, which gradually became more of a policy throughout the Clinton administration. However, with President Obama signing executive orders aimed at improving diversity, , which may or may not have been a huge step forward depending on how you look at it,” and participation in the federal workforce.”
Justice Department knew Hunter Biden's laptop was 'not manipulated' and contained 'credible evidence' in 2019: Whistleblower
hunter biden (Reuters/Tom Brenner)
Gentry told Fox News Digital that while discussions about personal politics didn't occur during his time at the CIA, intelligence officials during the Obama administration said standards had all but “disappeared” and political activity had become “common.” said, he said.
Gentry explains that two of the main drivers of the more politically active intelligence community were former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
Gentry said that both Brennan and Clapper “… very strongly support President Obama's desire to transform the federal workforce, so they have begun to accelerate this process and implement policy actions, including specific hiring efforts.” We've done a lot from that perspective.” For example, they encouraged employees to be more concerned about diversity and inclusion issues and, in Brennan's case, politically active. ”
Bari Weiss calls for end of DEI program, saying program undermines agencies' 'core mission'
Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper (right) listens to former CIA Director John Brennan. (Reuters/Gary Cameron)
Gentry told FOX News Digital there is no question that politicization within DEI and intelligence agencies is having a negative impact on rank-and-file worker morale.
“There are a lot of people who are unhappy with this because it politicizes the workforce and divides the workforce into those who believe in DEI policies and those who don’t,” Gentry said. he said.
“And even during the Obama years, there were people in the heads of analysis who started talking about 'soft totalitarianism.' That was a direct result of Brennan's top-down, politically-driven policies, and that totalitarianism, like the Soviet Union and China, It was a reminder of, well, this has a lot of implications in terms of performance and reliability.”
Gentry hopes his book will help readers “understand that there are serious political issues within government agencies,” and that former members of the intelligence community have criticized Trump in 2020. “No one was criticized,” he said, realizing how effective they were in damaging him.
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“When you put all of this together, I'm pretty confident that we're going to see a resurgence of activism,” Gentry said.
CIA Director William Burns addressed the issue of politicization within the intelligence community in a speech at the Aspen Security Forum in July.
“My duty, and President Biden has reminded me of this often, is to directly provide policymakers with the best information we can gather and analyze, even if it is inconvenient for policymakers.” I've spent enough time on the other side of the table to know when that's when someone realizes that their big new idea is actually not that big or new or that effective. When we say no, that’s an inconvenience,” Burns said.
“Our job is to be upfront about that, whether it's welcomed downtown, in the White House, in other parts of the executive branch. It's not an easy role, but it's a very important one. “It's a role that I take very seriously.” Our employees are doing their best to provide the best possible service.”
