After the January 6th insurrection, then-President and Commander in Chief Donald Trump refused to be briefed on classified intelligence about the attack on the Capitol. Despite a briefing being planned for him the day of the attack on the Capitol, the briefing never occurred, and Trump left office without ever having been briefed on classified intelligence again.

The violence at the Capitol on January 6th posed a serious threat to the safety of members of Congress and hundreds of law enforcement officers, and was a direct threat to our democracy. As the Commander in Chief, Trump had the responsibility to protect the safety and security of those at the Capitol, but neglected security concerns and refused to receive key intelligence information.

CREW has requested all CIA communications from December 1, 2020 to January 20, 2021 regarding classified daily intelligence briefings for Donald Trump, including records about canceled briefings and national security-related concerns surrounding the January 6th insurrection.

CREW also requested all communications regarding classified daily intelligence briefings for Trump exchanged between the CIA and the White House from the same time period.

The requested records will shed light on how the CIA handled Trump’s refusal to be briefed on intelligence and may help explain why Trump ignored his duty to protect the American people and uphold national security following the insurrection. The public deserves to know how seriously—or lightly—security concerns were taken by Trump before and after such a decisive moment for democracy, and what was done by the CIA in the wake of this month-long briefing hiatus to fulfill its responsibility to safeguard our national security.

FOIA request

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