Trump assures CIA officials: ‘I am so behind you’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Donald Trump speaks at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va.
LANGLEY, Va. >> President Donald Trump moved to mend his tumultuous relationship with America’s spy agencies Saturday, traveling to CIA headquarters on his first full day in office and assuring officials, “I am so behind you.”
But the president quickly shifted from praise for the CIA to criticism of media coverage of Inauguration Day, in an unscripted address that overstated the size of the crowd that gathered on the National Mall as he took the oath of office. Trump said throngs “went all the way back to the Washington monument,” despite photos and live video showing the crowd stopping well short of the landmark.
The president’s media criticism came as he stood in front of a memorial honoring CIA officers killed while serving the United States.
Trump’s decision to visit CIA headquarters just outside of Washington was aimed at making a public gesture to the intelligence officials he disparaged during the transition. He had repeatedly challenged the agencies’ assessment that Russia meddled in the presidential race to help him win and suggested intelligence officials were behind the leak of an unverified dossier that claimed Russia had collected compromising financial or personal information about him.
During remarks to about 400 CIA officials, Trump denied that he had a feud with the intelligence community, saying it was “exactly the opposite.” He again blamed the media for creating that impression, despite the fact that he made numerous public statements critical of intelligence officials.
“There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and CIA than Donald Trump,” he said. “There’s nobody.”
The 45th president’s inauguration has been shadowed by news reports that the CIA and other federal agencies are investigating Russian interference in the presidential election on behalf of Trump. The New York Times, citing anonymous officials, said agencies were examining intercepted communications and financial transactions between Russian officials and Trump’s associates.
FBI Director James Comey has declined to confirm or describe the nature of the government’s investigation, both during a congressional hearing and in closed-door meetings with members of Congress.
Saturday marked the end of three days of inaugural celebrations, with Trump and his family attending a national prayer service traditionally held for the new president. The president and his wife, Melania, and Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, sat in a front pew at Washington National Cathedral for the morning service.
The interfaith service is a tradition for new presidents and is hosted by the Episcopal parish. But the decision to hold a prayer session for Trump sparked debate among Episcopalians opposed to his policies.
Bishop Mariann Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington wrote in a blog post that while she shared “a sense of outrage at some of the president-elect’s words and actions,” she felt an obligation to welcome all people without qualification, especially those who disagree and need to find a way to work together.
The service took place as throngs of women, many of them wearing bright pink, pointy-eared hats, descended on the nation’s capital and other cities around the world Saturday for marches organized to push back against the new president. The presidential motorcade sped past the protesters.
Officials said the crowd in Washington for the women’s march could be more than half a million people, more than double expectations. The event appeared to have attracted more people than Trump’s inauguration, based on figures from transportation officials.
Trump arrived at the cathedral mid-morning. The service included readings and prayers from Protestant, Jewish, Sikh, Mormon, Buddhist, Roman Catholic, Baha’i, Episcopal, Hindu and Native American leaders. But the program was remarkable for the large number of evangelicals participating, including two former presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest evangelical denomination. Several speakers had served as Trump advisers and supporters who spoke at the Republican National Convention.
Trump, a Presbyterian, is not a regular churchgoer. He does not attend weekly services in New York, but worships every Christmas at a church near his estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump courted evangelical voters during the presidential campaign and infused his inaugural address with references to God and quoted from the Bible’s book of Psalms during a call for national unity.
The president’s family joined him at the White House for his first weekend in office. His daughter Ivanka and her husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, were seen snapping photos Saturday on the Truman balcony with a young girl who appeared to be their daughter.
The Justice Department released a memo concluding the president’s “special hiring authority” allows the New York real estate mogul to appoint Kushner to the administration and the move does not contravene federal anti-nepotism laws.
28 responses to “Trump assures CIA officials: ‘I am so behind you’”
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One more for the fact checkers – paragraph # 2.
Trump assures CIA officials “I am so behind you (unless it serves me better to berate you).”
he only berated Obama stooges in the CIA the head and a few of Obama CIA agents who probably switched to islam religion.
He berates anyone who tells the truth, the NSA, the FBI (even through Comey helped him steal the election), the CIA and other security agencies. He’s a lyin’ sack, which has been proved repeatedly. The reason he had the tiniest inaugural audience in memory is because he’s already the most hated president in modern history. May his administration of flunkies and mouth breathers fall and fall hard.
Trumps the boss of his business, he’s used to everyone laughing at his jokes and doing what he wants…We the people don’t need to listen and laugh at his jokes like Melania does, we can challenge him and call him out on his missteps and Trump will Crack when he can’t get his way…WIN WIN for me…#MAGA
Please explain how you think President Trump “stole” the election. Ms. Clinton lost because she was a weak candidate that didn’t campaign well. The Clinton campaign spent around 3 times as much as the Trump campaign did and still lost.
Full Trump quote: “I am so behind you. I know maybe sometimes you haven’t gotten the backing that you wanted and you’re going to get so much backing. Maybe you’re going to say, ‘please don’t give us so much backing,'”
Trump will keep giving CIA leaders strong “backing”, over and over until they beg him to stop the backing, “For the love of God. Please stop the backing! We’ll do whatever you say.”
Trump’s response: “OK CIA leaders. Let’s what can be done. Do you happen to have anyone there good at doctoring aerial crowd photos? Just curious. Oh, you do? Great. I think maybe we can stop all the strong ‘backing’ I’ve been giving you from behind. Lord Bannon, gather your troll army. We’re going to have some beautiful photo’s to share!”
Typically pathetic attempt by him to mend fences.
He gave out the Special Decoder rings to CIA members so that they can tell which tweets are “real” and which are “just kidding”, same Decoder rings that Trumpers possess…THE MEDIA MADE ME DO IT!!!…#MAGA
Funny.
I heard them all cheering knowing that Obama’s personal puppet intel director is out the door.
Next up: Loretta Lynch getting kicked to the curb so HilLIARy gets indicted like she should.
Don’t hold your breath.
Lock her up.
Make Trump Crack is what I’m hearing…#MAGA
the reason trump stated he is behind them, because a retired CIA agent for 26 years called a radio talk show host and said 85% of the CIA back trump and did not want Hillary as president, what people did not know is that CIA and NSA agents released all that information to Wiki leaks not asange.
Fake News…The real reason is that Trump was given the Russian tapes that the CIA recently acquired during a raid into Putins home during the Armed Forces Ball…CIA members were given a copy of Melanias tape as a thank you…See everyone can make up stuff too. #MAGA
now your reaching for straws, you really are a liberal with mental disorders, I take the word of a CIA agent who worked 26 years for them than a lot of news media who are stooges of the democrat party.
полезный дурак
You took the word of a 0 experience public worker.
He’s going to support whoever complements him. If a report is critical, he’ll ignore and criticize them again.
Trump is a psychotic. This experience is going to end very badly.
Psychosis is an abnormal condition of the mind that involves a “loss of contact with reality”. People experiencing psychosis may exhibit personality changes and thought disorder. Depending on its severity, this may be accompanied by unusual or bizarre behavior, as well as difficulty with social interaction and impairment in carrying out daily life activities.
Sounds like Klastri has loss contact with reality. The reality is Trump is the POTUS. Obviously Klastri has difficulty with social interaction etc.
good smart move by president trump in rallying his troops. he acts like a general.
hele on potus trump imua!!
Trump press secretary Sean Spicer insists that, “This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period.” In Russia maybe.
Obama’s inauguration and hands are larger, period..
Spicer is a spazz…Hes going to die of a Heart Attack if he doesn’t pace himself, it’s Day 1 and he was foaming at the mouth already…Maybe he knows that Trumps days are numbered so Spicer is going to make the most of his 15 minutes of fame…#MAGA
The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos are amongst the richest billionaires in the world, he received a $600 million contract from the CIA under the Obama administration. The SA contracts news from The Washington Post that contributes to the Associated Press (AP). So, as reader’s we receive biased, slanted and/or fake news from the Washington Post and AP. In other words, The Washington Post are harlots for the prior administration which was under Obama’s watch, there could be other AP agencies who have been contracted by the US government. I hope there is a way for POTUS Trump to rescind part of the contract and recoup some of that $600 million dollar contract.
POTUS Trump’s core values are in the belief of all US government bureaus, branches, and all law enforcement to be whole again. He is a true American patriot wanting to restore all of the legal USA citizens welfare and security, preserve the US Constitution, and unify America for the what this nation fought and stands for.
Strong work, udonnome.
You represent the tin foil hat propaganda wing of team Trump with distinction.
Trump has a big tent. All are welcome here (as long as you praise our glorious leader and attack his many ememies no matter what).
Today, Trump again declared war against “the media”, full of so many many liars.
There were definitely 1.5 million loyal Trump supporters at the inauguration, filling the entire Mall from the capitol to the Washington monument. Way way more than Obama. Trump said so, so it must be true.
Sure the photos didn’t show that. But just like climate science and political polling, aerial photography is a creature of the liberal leftist science community.
Who are you going to believe, our glorious truth-telling Trump or your own lying eyes?
Trump has no values, udonnome, except for what benefits him and his family.
Those in attendance were very supportive of President Trump. (I’m surprised)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1y5bojq_3Q