Former CIA Director John Brennan joined MS NOW on Monday to discuss President Donald Trump’s strategy and the Justice Department’s actions as the midterm elections approach. Brennan served in his role from 2013 to 2017.
Anchor Alicia Menendez explained that DOJ guidance generally cautions against actions that could influence voters before an election, including announcing investigations or charges during the so-called 90-day “quiet period” before federal elections.
The raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) home and the investigation into her citizenship application have raised concerns about potential violations of that guidance. When asked what he’s concerned about, Brennan warned that Trump could use federal agencies to interfere with elections or challenge results.
“Well, the office of the presidency has tremendous authorities that it can use, the executive branch, as we’ve seen, whether it be the Department of Justice or ICE or other elements of the Department of Homeland Security, to disrupt the day of the election or to actually challenge the certifications afterward,” Brennan said.
Brennan also accused Trump of trying to keep the GOP in control, while criticizing Attorney General Todd Blanche for his defense of the administration.
“I think Donald Trump is going to do whatever he can get away with. And unfortunately, we have people like Todd Blanche, who I think is just showing how devious a lawyer he is by trying to defend the indefensible,” Brennan asserted. “Because the things that he’s been saying on the talk shows this weekend, I think, certainly show that he has an unprincipled view and an attitude toward his job as attorney general.”
Brennan believes Trump does not care about fair elections, going as far as accusing elections of being rigged when they do not go in his favor. “These elections are so critically important, and it’s rather curious as to why all the elections that go Donald Trump’s way, he has no problem with, in terms of saying that they were fraudulently achieved,” he explained. “Any time it goes against his way or his preferred outcome, he claims fraud, he claims a rigged election, he claims some type of interference.”
During President Barack Obama’s administration, Brennan was credited with modernizing the CIA, primarily strengthening its digital capabilities to better combat cyber threats. His career at the agency began in 1980, when he served as an analyst specializing in the Near East and South Asia, decades before his promotion as the CIA director.