Donald Trump praises controversial new CIA director Gina Haspel
Ms Haspel is the first woman to lead the intelligence agency.
US president Donald Trump praised new CIA director Gina Haspel at her swearing-in ceremony, saying there was “no-one in this country better qualified” for the job.
The US senate confirmed Ms Haspel last week after overcoming concerns about her role in the agency’s use of harsh interrogation techniques after 9/11. Mr Trump said she showed courage during the process in the face of “very negative politics”.
She said she wants to send more officers into the field, improve foreign language proficiency among the ranks and strengthen the agency’s working relationships with intelligence agencies in partner nations.
When Mr Trump last visited the CIA headquarters in 2017, he spent much of his remarks at the time focused on settling scores with the media.
Hours before Mr Trump visited CIA headquarters, he struck a different tone, promoting criticism of former CIA director John Brennan and suggesting Mr Brennan is to blame for the Russia probe.
On Twitter, Mr Trump referenced comments from conservative commentator Dan Bongino on Fox And Friends, which argued that Mr Brennan “started this entire debacle”.
Mr Bongino, a former US secret service agent, also said Mr Brennan had “disgraced the intelligence community”.
Mr Brennan became the agency’s director in 2013 under then-president Barack Obama, and served until January 2017. He has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump.
