Intelligence Concerned About Trump and Putin’s Relationship Amid Chances of Trump's Second-Term

Amid rising concerns within U.S. intelligence circles, the possibility of former President Donald Trump returning to the Oval Office has sparked deep apprehension. Intelligence officials have raised their concern over the increasing admiration of Trump for the Russian autocrat, Vladimir Putin and his leadership.

Trump's previous presidency churned intense speculations surrounding his compressed attitude towards the Russian administration causing alarm amongst intelligence officials. With the polls nearing, predictions of the business mogul turned politician supporting Putin are being pushed to the fore as a cause of concern. The issues regarding support for Ukraine against the war waged by Russia and ultimately fortifying NATO might see a lack of rigorous attempts to achieve them to back Putin indirectly. 

Fiona Hill, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former national security official during Trump's presidency, points out Trump's perception of Putin as a "strongman." She draws comparisons between their approaches, implying that both seek to undermine the United States, albeit for varying reasons. These escalating concerns emphasize the increased vigilance within the intelligence to address the potential implications of a potential return to power by Trump. Similarly, Douglas London, a retired senior CIA operations officer, expressed concerns about possibly exploiting U.S. intelligence resources under Trump's leadership.

The intelligence agencies target political adversaries, likening it to establishing a "Praetorian guard." Recent events, including Trump's peculiar response to the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, have further fueled apprehension. Instead of condemning Putin for Navalny's demise, Trump bizarrely equated Navalny's fate with his legal challenges, raising eyebrows among observers according to The Guardian. The concerns regarding Trump's deference to Putin over U.S. intelligence assessments are deeply rooted. 

During his presidency, Trump consistently minimized or disregarded evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election, despite conclusive findings from bipartisan Senate reports and special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation confirming Russian efforts to support his candidacy. With the former President's affinity for autocratic leaders and his history of disregarding intelligence assessments, concerns persist regarding the integrity of U.S. institutions and the country's standing on the global stage. The ex-POTUS statement has strengthened such speculations. "Even Vladimir Putin says that Biden’s – and this is a plitically motivated persecution of his political rival is perfect for Russia because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy," Trump told a New Hampshire rally this year before the state primary.

"Trump speaking favorably about Putin and using him as a credible source is the language of extremist politics. Trump is an authoritarian personality if there ever was one in American politics," said Steven Levitsky, a Harvard government professor and coauthor of How Democracies Die according to The Guardian. Charlie Dent, the ex-Republican Representative voiced, "Trump identifies with illiberal, populist, and authoritarian leaders. Trump has autocratic inclinations, and Putin is simply an autocrat."