A Trump-Led Private U.S. Spy Agency
There are rumors and reports that President Donald Trump is looking to create his own privately run global spy network. If this were true, the President could be looking to cover himself from the deep state.
The term “deep state” refers to longtime government officials looking to undermine the president and his administration. In the end, the goal is to drum up support in order to push their own political agenda.
One reason for a private spy agency being discussed is because President Trump wants things done his way for the betterment of America and wants to protect his administration team. This way, President Trump can ensure that everything on his agenda is checked off. In addition, it will give the president much more power in terms of running the country and operations around the world as he would be free to do as he chooses, with no one looking over his shoulder.
Even though Donald Trump is President of the United States of America, the most powerful position in the world, he does not control everything that occurs within the country. There are procedures that must be followed in order to ensure that the president gets his way, such as gaining approval from certain committees or getting the majority vote. A private spy entity will eliminate the need for any approval.
Is all this just fake news? Or is it true that President Trump is looking to create his own spy agency? Well, let’s go through a fact check and determine if this idea of a private spy agency will be run by President Trump in the future.
Details of a Private Spy Network
All this began because of an article by The Intercept. The claim is that former and current members of the U.S. intelligence community have said that President Trump is looking to create his own private spy agency. (Source: “Trump White House Weighing Plans for Private Spies to Counter “Deep State” Enemies,” The Intercept, December 4, 2017.)
The article states that Erik Prince, a former CIA officer and the founder of Blackwater, will be involved alongside Oliver North, a convicted individual in the Iran-Contra affair. North and Prince would report to both the White House and Mike Pompeo, the current director of the CIA. This would prevent any important information bypassing the President and being kept behind closed doors.
The proposal would also include spies working from countries where there are no operations currently in place, such as North Korea and Iran. There will also be a focus on battling terrorism in the Middle East and Europe.
Would This Move to a Private Spy Agency Be Good for America?
If everything mentioned above turns out to be true in regards to there being a private spy agency and Trump being at the forefront, it would not be great for America. There could be tension brewed up between the White House and the intelligence community.
One result is that the intelligence community could close their doors on the White House and begin to do things on their own terms. This could then result in private spies having one plan and the intelligence community having another. As a result, America could lose its power; having two different strategies is looked at as a weakness and not strength in the world.
The move would be great for President Trump, though, because it gives him much more control in the daily operations of the country. Also, it will give President Trump the ability to keep things in a black box with no need to ask permission for executing any plans that may seem unpopular. There will not be any pushback unless there is a leak of plans or someone on his team turns on him.
Overall, America could be considered as taking a step back if this private spy agency does come to fruition.
A Background of the Names Being Mentioned in the Private Spy Agency
President Trump seems to have had an agenda before Americans voted for him to reside in the White House. One thing is for sure, President Trump is using his past experience of running a real estate empire to build relationships. It seems that President Trump attracts individuals that will think just as he does and act just as he would.
Let’s take a look at Erik Prince, who is a very controversial figure.
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Prince’s former security firm, Blackwater, came under serious criticism when guards opened fire in a crowded Baghdad marketplace, killing innocent bystanders. Prince has also been linked to the Trump-Russia scandal. This controversial past creates a lot of issues since Prince would possess a lot of power in the private spy agency. (Source: “Blackwater founder held secret Seychelles meeting to establish Trump-Putin back channel,” The Washington Post, April 3, 2017.)
Oliver North has his own past controversies as well. North was one of the individuals involved in the Iran-Contra affair, which was the sale of weapons through intermediaries that resulted in Iran receiving the weapons. The money involved in the transaction went through a shell organization in order to hide the payments. North was later charged in the matter when everything came into the spotlight. (Source: “The Iran-Contra Affair,” PBS, last accessed December 6, 2017.)
Now there seems to be a pattern in the people that President Trump is looking to partner with for this private spy agency. Both individuals have been involved in something that puts a negative attribute on their resumes. North and Prince are pro-Trump and could be looking to get involved in the intelligence segment in any way, even a newly formed private agency. This would only be due to the fact that they cannot join existing intelligence agencies because of their pasts.
Also, Mike Pompeo was elected by Trump to be the director of the CIA. He has spoken out and said that he supports the need for private contractors, which puts him on the same train of thought as President Trump. Pompeo would be in charge of the group and would work with the White House.
Conclusion: President Trump Setting up a Private Spy Agency
Is President Trump setting up a private spy agency? Maybe.
On paper, there is no possibility that the Supreme Court or government agencies would support a private spy agency, in part because they would be left in the dark and also because of funding requirements by the government. Also, the fact that the individuals mentioned above have links to past controversies does not help the overall situation. It could be that everyone involved has a secret agenda not being mentioned.
On the other hand, there is a possibility that President Trump organizes a private spy committee and keeps it behind closed doors. The funding of the agency may then be through private funds. This is only being considered because Trump seems to do things on his own agenda.