Trump is not the first president to have a dysfunctional relationship with the US intelligence community

During his time as president, Donald Trump had an often-difficult relationship with the US intelligence community, frequently accusing its agencies of undermining him. Ronan P. Mainprize writes that if Trump regains the White House following the 2024 presidential election, then we should expect renewed conflict between Trump and his intelligence agencies. Yet, while Trump’s challenges are serious, he was not the first president to criticise or politicise intelligence agencies. Properly prepared these agencies should be able to continue to be effective despite Trump’s attacks.