Adam Schiff Hopes Officials Will 'Dumb Down' Intelligence Briefings For Trump

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the former chair of the House intelligence committee, on Sunday said he expects U.S. officials to “dumb down” any intelligence briefings provided to former President Donald Trump as part of a long-standing tradition extended to presidential nominees.

Candidates who earn their parties’ presidential nomination have been cleared to receive intelligence briefings to ensure a smooth transition of power, regardless of who wins the general election. But the customary briefings, which have been taking place since 1952, are not legally required.

Trump is expected to receive intelligence briefings if and when he officially secures the GOP nomination, officials have said ― in spite of the criminal charges he faces, including for allegedly mishandling classified, top-secret documents.

Speaking to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Schiff said that while this is standard practice, the former president’s track record does concern him. Schiff argued that the U.S. has never had a presidential candidate who has been as “criminally negligent” in handling classified information as Trump.

He added that he expects officials to take that into account when they sit down with Trump.

“I have to hope, and knowing the intelligence community as I do, that they will dumb down the briefing for Donald Trump,” Schiff said. “That is, they will give him no more information than absolutely necessary. Nothing that would reveal sources or methods. Because we can’t trust that he will do the right thing with that information ― he’s been so reckless.”

“They will be wary of what they share with him, and they should,” Schiff continued.

According to Politico, the briefings go through the Office of the Director of National Intelligence following