- Security services are concerned that foreign powers could target Trump for his knowledge of US intelligence secrets and his need for money.
- Trump “has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt … and access to almost every intelligence secret in the free world,” an official said.
- “The risk is so obvious that everyone has considered it and that each service will take its own steps to protect itself,” a source told Insider.
- Visit the Insider Business Department for more stories.
With more than $ 1 billion in total debt and at least $ 340 million owed by Deutsche Bank, former President Donald Trump presents an unprecedented challenge to the US and Western intelligence services that have had to face the secrets to which he has been exposed daily for the past four years. preserved, to five current or former intelligence officials in the US and Europe.
Trump’s inability to keep American secrets – and his willingness to distort intelligence according to his political needs – were well-documented aspects of his tenure. They led to several diplomatic incidents:
‘This is a person with a proven willingness to do almost anything for money’
“It is therefore clear that this is a person with little regard for the protection of intelligence and resources as a duty – it does not openly care about him,” a senior NATO intelligence official told Insider. Like other officials willing to speak for this article, the source refused to be identified because of the extreme sensitivity of the information and the need to maintain good relations between Western powers.
“This is a person with a proven willingness to do almost anything for money,” the official said. “The person has hundreds of millions of dollars in debt that are clearly not going to be easy to pay, and access to almost every intelligence secret in the free world for the past four years,” the official said.
Insider contacted a Trump representative for comment, but received no response.
Several sources described Trump as having access to everything any American opponent wants to know. Although current operations are declining, the general view of the American system and its relationships with friends and adversaries alone will yield dividends.
“There is absolutely a market for the secrets he knows, and any intelligence service will analyze it and conclude that Trump is exactly the kind of person who would like to sell it to you,” the official said. “This is what intelligence services do. Who is really going to decide that ‘No, this is impossible, Donald Trump will never infringe on his country’s trust in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars?’ No one working in intelligence will decide this. ‘
Imagine how useful a long information session on US security stance against an attack on Taiwan would be [Chinese] planners? Is there a dollar value? ”
None of the officials wanted more information about the information. It is feared that Trump may make a compromise with future business partners. One suggested that details of top national security priorities alone – which would involve nuclear weapons at the highest level, protection of energy supply and mutual defense with the closest allies – would be invaluable to a close-knit state like China or Russia.
“Taiwan information alone will be invaluable to the VRC,” an official said, referring to the People’s Republic of China. “Imagine how useful a long information session on the US security attitude would be for an attack on Taiwan for planners? Is there a dollar value?”
Several sources pointed to the recent decision to deprive Trump of his right to receive future briefings, a courtesy granted to former presidents, as a sign that the Biden government has acted to stop the bleeding, according to an official.
‘A problem we do not want to talk about now’
A source close to the Biden government – who refused to be identified in public – described the situation as “a problem we do not want to talk about now, because we do not know if it is a real problem. and that we have other things to talk about. But it does sound like at least monitoring by counterintelligence. Ensuring that other nations do not steal willing or unwilling national secrets from former presidents will be part of any counter-intelligence service. “
In Europe, where concerns about sharing information with U.S. intelligence that Trump could compromise were previously concerned, officials acknowledged there were limited meetings about possible exposure.
“There were meetings about this, but I was not involved, thank God,” said another Northern Europe military intelligence official, who is working closely with the Americans on ISIS and Russian operations. “Our meetings will be focused on things about our service that could have been leaked by the Americans over the past four years, but if you ask how serious it is, I would have pointed out that there has never been [meetings like this] about a US president and only a handful of meetings about potentially exposed EU figures. ‘
Read more: Some among America’s military allies believe Trump deliberately tried to commit a coup and may have enlisted the help of federal law enforcement officials.
Two other European officials confirmed the fears, but declined to comment specifically beyond pointing out that “the risk is so obvious that everyone has considered it and that each service will take its own steps to protect itself.”
But did Trump actually pay attention to his briefings?
There is one factor that could reduce potential harm, or even reduce the value of the goods that could trample on Trump: Trump’s total disregard for listening – or even paying attention to – briefings.
“The general stuff would be very useful, but the details can be limited as he does not allow notes to be taken and apparently did not embrace the information that would contain very valuable details,” the military intelligence official said. “This is the second half of every review of someone’s recruitment. Yes, he’s greedy enough to buy … no problem, but he’s going to be too selfish and lazy to make a good asset. Good spies note at briefings. “
Read more: NATO officials sound on Trump because he has delayed the military handover to Biden, while ‘there is a significant security situation going on with Iran that could explode at any time’.