Tom Nichols on Trump Set to Receive Classified Briefings: People Have Been Denied Clearances for Big Credit Card Bills

EXCERPT:

NICHOLS: "Because he's shown he is an irresponsible, anti-American, seditionist-supporting fire hose of dangerous leaks. There’s simply no trusting a person like this. I worked for 25 years, I’ve had a security clearance for most of my adult life, until I retired from the Defense Department, and there is no way that a guy with Trump's problems — I mean, people have been denied clearances for having big credit card bills. Donald Trump owes a half billion dollars. But more than that, he has no filter. He will say anything at any moment that he thinks will help him. And it wouldn't surprise me at all that if he heard something in a classified environment that he thought would be to his benefit to just blurt it out in a rally, he would absolutely do it. And I think, you know, President Biden, my concern is that the White House is worried about, as it should be, observing traditions and not looking like they are politicizing intelligence, but the risk is immense. And I'd add one other thing: the people that have pushed back on this and Trump's supporters say, well, that's — you know, Donald Trump needs to know these things if he becomes president again, you know, please, let's be serious. Donald Trump does not understand these things, he doesn’t listen to briefings, he's un-briefable, he does not care about this stuff. All he cares about is whatever benefits him in the immediate circumstances."