Everyone seems to be appalled by this but I can see some logic for it:
The CIA has made it harder for intelligence about Russia to reach the White House, stoking fears among current and former officials that information is being suppressed to please a president known to erupt in anger whenever he is confronted with bad news about Moscow.
Nine current and former officials said in interviews that CIA Director Gina Haspel has become extremely cautious about which, if any, Russia-related intelligence products make their way to President Donald Trump’s desk. Haspel also has been keeping a close eye on the agency’s fabled “Russia House,” whose analysts she often disagrees with and sometimes accuses of purposefully misleading her.
Last year, three of the people said, Haspel tasked the CIA’s general counsel, Courtney Elwood, with reviewing virtually every product that comes out of Russia House, which is home to analysts and targeters who are experts in Russia and the post-Soviet space, before it “goes downtown” to the White House. One former CIA lawyer called it “unprecedented that a general counsel would be involved to this extent.”
Four of the people said the change has resulted in less intelligence on Russia making its way to the White House, but the exact reason for that — whether Elwood has been blocking it, or whether Russia officers have become disillusioned and are producing less, or even self-censoring for fear of being reprimanded — is less clear.
Far be it from me to defend the CIA, but isn’t it possible that they are afraid to tell Trump because they know he’ll tell Putin what they know? It’s not as if telling him the bad news about Russia will lead to him suddenly decide that he needs to crack down on the election interference — or anything else.
Honestly, I’m not sure why this is necessarily a bad thing. Trump is clearly acting as much on Russia’s behalf as he is the US. Maybe it’s really not a good idea to share this info with him and his cult-like henchmen. “Speaking truth to power” when Trump is the power is not obviously a good thing.
On the other hand, Courtney Ellwood is a political hack and Haspel may very well be a cultist herself so who knows? It’s a big problem when you have a traitorous ignoramus for a president backed up by eager accomplices. Nothing makes any sense.