In the latest turn of the screw in Trump’s relentless assault on the establishment, the President has tapped Bill Pulte, a man whose principal qualification appears to be his surname’s proximity to a housing scandal, to head the CIA. This is not merely a reshuffle; it is a declaration of war on the very concept of professional intelligence. One cannot help but think of the late Roman Empire, where military commands were sold to the highest bidder, and the Praetorian Guard became a revolving door for emperors.
Pulte, a real estate magnate and Trump loyalist, has exactly zero experience in espionage. But that, presumably, is the point. In this administration, loyalty trumps competence.
Prepare for a CIA that will tell the President what he wants to hear, not what he needs to know. The fall of the Republic may be slow, but it is accelerating. Mark my words: this is how empires die.
With a whimper, and a real estate mogul in charge of state secrets.
