The Real Threat Is Inside: Why Trump Is Right to Purge Politicized Intel Agencies

In an era when America’s enemies test our resolve and our own intelligence community may be leaking classified information, one thing remains clear — President Trump and his national security team are fighting back. Washington was rocked this week when a preliminary, unvetted Pentagon memo was leaked, suggesting U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities barely dented Tehran’s ambitions. But the so-called “intelligence” — drawn from a single day of post-strike reporting and lacking input from the CIA or NSA — has been decisively discredited.

Now, as federal agents scour the corridors of power to find the whistleblower-turned-saboteur, the White House, the CIA, and even the International Atomic Energy Agency are united in dismissing the leak as a politically motivated hit-job. Their message: the strikes were a resounding success — inflicting long-term damage and pushing Iran’s nuclear program back years.

A Premature Leak, A Flawed Assessment

This week’s leak of an incomplete Pentagon assessment regarding President Trump’s strategic strikes on Iran is yet another reminder that the intelligence community — long-hailed as the apolitical guardian of national security — is in urgent need of housecleaning. The document, which was never finalized and excluded input from key agencies like the CIA and NSA, suggested that the U.S. airstrikes inflicted “minimal disruption” on Tehran’s nuclear program. Almost immediately, mainstream outlets ran with the narrative, casting doubt on the success of the mission. But the facts tell a different story.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe quickly shot down the leaked assessment, clarifying that a full post-strike analysis — one that includes satellite imagery, cyber intel, and IAEA reports — shows Iran’s nuclear ambitions suffered a “multi-year setback.” Even the International Atomic Energy Agency backed the administration’s position, noting significant degradation at targeted facilities. This is not just a question of intelligence; it’s a question of intent. Someone deliberately leaked a draft to undermine President Trump’s foreign policy achievements. That’s not whistleblowing — it’s political warfare.

The Trump administration has every right to be furious. The leak didn’t just misrepresent facts — it sought to preempt the final, official assessment with a politicized version crafted to sow doubt. If the strike had failed, Iran would be boasting about it. Instead, their silence is confirmation. The leaker knew what they were doing — and who they were helping.

A Pattern of Partisan Sabotage

Unfortunately, this leak is not an isolated incident. From the Russia collusion hoax to the suppression of Hunter Biden’s laptop, deep-state operatives within the CIA, FBI, and even State Department have repeatedly weaponized intelligence for partisan ends. Recall how during Trump’s first term, selective leaks to media outlets were used to create a cloud of suspicion over perfectly legal meetings with foreign leaders. The intelligence bureaucracy, rather than serving the country, has too often served the Democrat party’s narrative machine.

In 2017, outgoing Obama officials scrambled to preserve intelligence related to Trump-Russia accusations, planting seeds for years of costly investigations — only to have them collapse under scrutiny. The Mueller Report ultimately found no criminal conspiracy. Still, the damage was done. The very same tactics were used again in 2020, when over 50 former intelligence officials publicly discredited the Hunter Biden laptop story as “Russian disinformation,” even though no evidence ever backed that claim. Today, we know the laptop was authentic — and the denials were political cover.

More recently, whistleblowers have come forward alleging that CIA and DOJ officials discouraged investigations into the Biden family’s foreign dealings in Ukraine and China. This culture of insubordination and ideological bias within the intelligence ranks is a direct threat to the democratic process — and the will of the American voter. These agencies were never intended to be partisan think tanks or public relations arms for the left.

Intelligence Must Serve the Nation, Not a Party

Intelligence services exist to keep Americans safe — not to manipulate public perception or sabotage elected leaders. The ongoing leak investigation, now led by federal agents, must not stop at identifying the mole. It must result in real consequences. The individual or individuals who leaked the flawed Iran memo should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. As President Trump has rightly said, “This is going to get prosecuted.” And it should.

What’s most dangerous about this leak is not just the embarrassment it attempted to cause the administration. It’s the signal it sends to our enemies. When rogue agents undermine their own commander-in-chief, they weaken America’s global posture. Iran, Russia, and China are watching closely, eager to exploit our internal divisions. If parts of our intelligence infrastructure act like political operatives instead of security professionals, they endanger not just Trump’s policies — but America itself.

This isn’t simply about one bad actor with clearance. It’s about an entrenched culture of disloyalty. When unelected bureaucrats believe they have the right to override or undermine the decisions of an elected president, we stop being a constitutional republic and start looking more like a banana republic.

Cleaning House Is a Patriotic Duty

President Trump’s ongoing efforts to clean the federal agencies of entrenched, partisan operatives are not only justified — they’re long overdue. His recent moves to streamline national security agencies, review loyalty metrics, and replace key personnel have sparked outrage among the D.C. establishment. But to ordinary Americans, they represent a return to accountability. When federal workers with security clearances act against the president, they aren’t “dissenters” — they’re saboteurs.

Transparency, loyalty to the Constitution, and national defense — not partisan politics — must guide every desk and office in Langley and beyond. The president is not purging dissent; he’s restoring order and integrity to institutions that have lost the trust of the American people.

The intelligence community should never function as a shadow government. It must be restored to its rightful purpose: protecting the American people, without fear, favor, or political interference. The leak of the Iran assessment was not just a betrayal of trust – it was an attack on truth. And Trump’s determination to root out those responsible sends the clearest message yet: in this administration, America comes first — and politics comes dead last.