I look at the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence through the prism of my former career as a U.S. government national security official.
I worked at the CIA for 26 years, including over a decade in the Middle East. Regardless of what agency we worked for, all government employees abroad were essentially considered ambassadors for our nation. We promoted the ideals of freedom and democracy, particularly when serving in countries that did not enjoy such concepts. (Frankly, that meant nearly every country where I was assigned!) Whoever we talked to, we always tried to send the meritorious message that America is a country made stronger by its established norms, laws, and institutions.
Why does this matter in the wake of the FBI search?
Put simply, because it is a fundamental notion of good government that no one, including any of our former presidents, is above the law. More importantly, I strongly believe that this concept should be openly discussed and celebrated. It is a teaching point for the world. We are not an aristocracy or dictatorship.
Were I still serving overseas, I would have an easy talking point at my ready. At every diplomatic reception, when asked, I would simply say, “I have no idea what former President Trump did or did not do. The FBI will get to the bottom of this, I am sure. But really, the lesson for the world is that we hold everyone accountable, even former presidents.”
Democracies survive such investigations, and even more so, they survive prosecutions of former heads of state. Look at France, South Korea, and Israel. A former French president (Nicolas Sarkozy) was sentenced to jail. A former Israeli prime minister (Ehud Olmert) actually went to jail as well. Numerous former South Korean presidents have been imprisoned. I cringe at the notion that the “unprecedented” nature of the FBI search is the primary concern. The president is not a king or queen. This great republic will survive a search of a former president’s residence and would even survive a criminal prosecution. Take a deep breath.
Unfortunately, many in the GOP have acted as if the end of the world just occurred. Some on the far Right are even hysterically assessing that a second civil war beckons. Our adversaries are surely salivating at this drama. This is just disgusting behavior by some of our fellow citizens. It plays directly into the hands of our enemies and hurts the aspirations of oppressed people everywhere. This crazy talk of civil war ends up being catnip for Russian intelligence active measures campaigns. Just watch as the Russian disinformation machine ratchets up to exacerbate our internal divisions. Their job is to inflame and sow chaos within the U.S. body politic.
We make it so easy for our adversaries. It would be helpful if more Republicans would act responsibly and call for calm. Let’s see how the facts play out. The risks are clear: Just look what happened at the FBI field office in Cincinnati. Does the GOP really want blue blood on their hands? Remember, after all, FBI agents are ultimately police.
Moreover, the issue of classification is important. It was with Hillary Clinton, and it is now. Those of us who routinely handled classified information take this very seriously, as the stakes can be enormous. If it is a human intelligence report that is compromised, the life of an “agent,” the person who provided that information to a U.S. intelligence officer, could be on the line. If it’s signals intelligence, that means a critical collection system could be at risk. If it is satellite imagery, that means an adversary would know the resolution we possess. Jeopardizing any of these “sources and methods” allows an enemy to build countermeasures against them. That risks our reduced insight into threats ranging from terrorist attacks, surprise military invasions, and much more. If we hold national security officials to a set standard, our top political leadership must also abide by these rules. If not, this system designed to protect our country will fall apart.
Finally, it might be worth reminding all those on the right viciously condemning the FBI that this same organization just broke up an Iranian plot to kill several Trump-era national security officials. The FBI appears to have performed marvelously in this task. Ask John Bolton or Mike Pompeo what they think of the FBI; I think their answers will be rather different than other Republicans who are whipping themselves into a frenzy.
You cannot “back the blue” only when it is convenient to do so. The hypocrisy is staggering. I support my old FBI colleagues at this critical moment in time and simply state the obvious: Let the investigation play out.
Marc Polymeropoulos is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. A former CIA senior operations officer, he retired in 2019 after a 26-year career serving in the Near East and South Asia. His book Clarity in Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the CIA was published in June 2021 by HarperCollins.
