Washington in Shock as Donald Trump Launches His Biggest Attack Yet on America’s Intelligence Community
President Donald Trump’s clash with America’s intelligence agencies has moved into a much more serious stage. What started as heated arguments and public insults has now turned into something that looks like a purge. The most dramatic sign of this came when the FBI raided the home of John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Adviser.
According to Shane Harris of The Atlantic, people close to the situation believe this was not simply about Bolton’s personal actions. Instead, it was meant as a warning to the wider intelligence community — a way of saying, “stay quiet, or you could be next.”
The fallout was immediate and harsh. While Bolton’s belongings were being packed away, The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had removed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, who was serving as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Kruse had challenged Trump’s public claims that the U.S. had “completely destroyed” Iran’s nuclear program, and that act of defiance cost him his job.
Not long after, there was another blow. Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, stripped several officials of their security clearances. These were people who had worked extensively on protecting U.S. elections from Russian interference in 2016 — the same interference Trump has long dismissed as a “hoax.” For Harris, this marked the week when Trump’s fight against the so-called “deep state” shifted from talk to action.
Some say calling this a “purge” is too mild. In Washington, the phrase echoing through the halls is “terrorizing the workforce.” Removing security clearances doesn’t just inconvenience people — it ends their careers. It creates a chilling effect, planting fear and uncertainty in the minds of everyone still working in national security.
This isn’t random. It’s a strategy. Trump has repeatedly claimed that intelligence agencies were out to get him, and now he’s moving against those who challenged him, especially those who focused on Russian interference. Bolton, Kruse, and others have become examples. The message is clear: defy Trump publicly, and you may be humiliated or destroyed.
“There are still officials who were involved in efforts to stop Russia’s interference in 2016,” Harris warns, suggesting they may be the next targets. This isn’t just about whether people did their jobs correctly. It’s about reminding everyone that their positions are fragile if they go against Trump.
The growing belief is that Trump wants to rule the intelligence community through fear. What once seemed like political noise has now turned into concrete actions: firings, raids, and public humiliation. The intelligence community feels worn down, asking themselves how far Trump is willing to push — and what kind of system they will be left with when the dust finally settles.
