In a searing op-ed, the former head of US Special Operations Command, who supervised the 2011 Navy Seal raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, has slammed Donald’s reckless attitude towards the intelligence community saying that Americans should be afraid of the president’s actions.
Retired navy admiral William McRaven, writing in The Washington Post about the dismissal of director of national intelligence Joe Maguire, decries the fact that Mr Maguire was apparently ousted simply for doing his job – the dissemination of intelligence to elected officials.
He writes: “As Americans, we should be frightened – deeply afraid for the future of the nation. When good men and women can’t speak the truth, when facts are inconvenient, when integrity and character no longer matter, when presidential ego and self-preservation are more important than national security – then there is nothing left to stop the triumph of evil.”
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Admiral McRaven opens with the famous quote from Irish statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
He lists the good men and women that have come and gone in the administration: Jim Mattis, John Kelly, HR McMaster, Sue Gordon, Dan Coats, and now Joe Maguire, and later mournfully says that “in this administration, good men and women don’t last long”.
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1/13 John Bolton
Trump claimed to have fired Bolton, his national security adviser, while Bolton claimed he offered to resign. An anonymous White House source that Bolton’s departure came as a result of the national security adviser working too independently of the president
AFP/Getty
2/13 Anthony Scaramucci
Scaramucci lasted only six days in his role as’s communications director before being fired by John Kelly, the incoming chief of staff
Getty
3/13 Rick Perry
Rick Perry announced his resignation just as he became embroiled in the president’s impeachment scandal. The White House said Mr Perry was asked by Donald to work with Rudy GIuliani in regards to Ukraine.
AP
4/13 Rex Tillerson
Tillerson,’s first secretary of state, was fired after a series of clashes with the president over policy
Getty
5/13 James Mattis
Mattis served as secretary of defense from the beginning of’s administration until retiring on 1 January 2019. However, the president later claimed that he had “essentially fired” Mattis
Getty
6/13 James Comey
Comey was fired as director of the FBI early in’s presidency after serving in the role for four years prior. His dismissal is widely thought to have been related to the Russia investigation
Getty
7/13 Reince Priebus
Priebus,’s first chief of staff, was forced out after six tumultuous months
AFP/Getty
8/13 Da Shulkin
Veterans affairs secretary Shulkin claims that he was fired, the White House claims that he resigned
Getty
9/13 John Kelly
Kelly,’s second chief of staff, was forced out after 17 months in office. His departure was a confused affair though it is clear that wanted Kelly out
AFP/Getty
10/13 Michael Flynn
Flynn lasted 24 days as’s national security adviser before being fired for lying to the FBI
Getty
11/13 Lee Cisna
Cisna served as director of citizen and immigration services between October 2017 and June 2019 before being asked to resign amid a major personnel change in the department of homeland security
12/13 Madeline Westerhout
Westerhout served as’s personal assistant after leaking private information about his family
AFP/Getty
13/13 Mira Ricardel
Ricardel was forced out of her role as Deputy National Security Advisor after first lady Melania publicly called for her to be fired
1/13 John Bolton
Trump claimed to have fired Bolton, his national security adviser, while Bolton claimed he offered to resign. An anonymous White House source that Bolton’s departure came as a result of the national security adviser working too independently of the president
AFP/Getty
2/13 Anthony Scaramucci
Scaramucci lasted only six days in his role as’s communications director before being fired by John Kelly, the incoming chief of staff
Getty
3/13 Rick Perry
Rick Perry announced his resignation just as he became embroiled in the president’s impeachment scandal. The White House said Mr Perry was asked by Donald to work with Rudy GIuliani in regards to Ukraine.
AP
4/13 Rex Tillerson
Tillerson,’s first secretary of state, was fired after a series of clashes with the president over policy
Getty
5/13 James Mattis
Mattis served as secretary of defense from the beginning of’s administration until retiring on 1 January 2019. However, the president later claimed that he had “essentially fired” Mattis
Getty
6/13 James Comey
Comey was fired as director of the FBI early in’s presidency after serving in the role for four years prior. His dismissal is widely thought to have been related to the Russia investigation
Getty
7/13 Reince Priebus
Priebus,’s first chief of staff, was forced out after six tumultuous months
AFP/Getty
8/13 Da Shulkin
Veterans affairs secretary Shulkin claims that he was fired, the White House claims that he resigned
Getty
9/13 John Kelly
Kelly,’s second chief of staff, was forced out after 17 months in office. His departure was a confused affair though it is clear that wanted Kelly out
AFP/Getty
10/13 Michael Flynn
Flynn lasted 24 days as’s national security adviser before being fired for lying to the FBI
Getty
11/13 Lee Cisna
Cisna served as director of citizen and immigration services between October 2017 and June 2019 before being asked to resign amid a major personnel change in the department of homeland security
12/13 Madeline Westerhout
Westerhout served as’s personal assistant after leaking private information about his family
AFP/Getty
13/13 Mira Ricardel
Ricardel was forced out of her role as Deputy National Security Advisor after first lady Melania publicly called for her to be fired
Mr Maguire’s extensive career, including 36 years as a Navy Seal, is described in detail by Admiral McRaven who paints a picture of a patriot and a man of integrity.
When caught up in the Ukraine whistleblower case, Mr Maguire told the White House he would testify if asked and would tell the truth – and he did, says Admiral McRaven.
“He earned the respect of the entire intelligence community. They knew a good man was at the helm. A man they could count on, a man who would back them, a man whose integrity was more important than his future employment.”
Former CIA director John Brennan has also sounded the alarm about the administration’s alleged interference in the operations of US national security. Mr Brennan referred to the dismissal of Mr Maguire as “a virtual decapitation of the intelligence community”.
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Mr Maguire has been replaced in an acting capacity by loyalist and US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell – a move widely criticised due to Mr Grenell’s complete lack of experience in the field of intelligence.
The president has said that he will nominate a permanent appointee to the role of director of national intelligence.
The New York Times reports that Mr Grenell has already installed his own leadership team. He has also requested the intelligence behind the classified briefing Mr Maguire gave to the House Intelligence Committee last week, in which he informed lawmakers that Russia is interfering in the 2020 presidential election in Mr’s favour.
When news of the briefing reached Mr, he was reportedly “li” and complained that Democrats would use it against him. Mr Maguire was dismissed shortly afterwards.