The funniest part of the MSNBC report about the issue is their claim that Pulte has not been in office long enough to know who the Deep State embeds are. “I have a real question of how he would know this. This isn’t a guy who is familiar with intelligence,” said the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing concerns about retaliation. “How is he going to get to the bottom of this and rely on any information with a matter of fidelity? It would be like me taking over a hospital and firing dozens of surgeons in a matter of days.” {source}

How could Pulte possibly know who to fire, they lament.  The likelihood of former DNI Tulsi Gabbard and current CIA Director John Ratcliffe coordinating with ADNI Bill Pulte to clean house, just isn’t something all these former intelligence officials can fathom.

These silos are supposed to work independently to protect themselves, they likely think.  The system is designed to keep each agency from coordinating action against the lower-level operatives, especially the liaison offices inside the ODNI.  Bill Pulte is doing something they are just not prepared for.

It’s a little funny when you think about it.  However, there were people in the comments section on CTH yesterday who were perplexed about Tulsi Gabbard visiting Washington DC to give a speech specifically about this issue.  Perhaps people will realize there is considerable coordination and transferring of information as this transition is underway.

[…] Both former officials noted that Pulte’s office itself does not collect intelligence. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence receives it from the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency and 15 other agencies. He said that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, for example, would know of such a problem.

“If there really was any serious withholding of information, the guy who would know this is Ratcliffe,” said one of the former officials. “He is in the inner circle. He and his analysts would be the first ones to know. If anyone would know about that alleged claim, it would be him.”

DUH!

A spokesperson for the CIA did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.

A third former senior intelligence official dismissed the idea that intelligence officials would ever engage in such conduct.

“The intelligence community is comprised of committed professionals,” the former official said. “This is a fantasy. It only hurts U.S. national security, and it’s helpful to Russia, China and Iran.” (read more)

Speaking on a Defending Democracy podcast with her lawyer Marc Elias, Hillary Clinton said Wednesday, “I mean, I hope there are career and even political appointees, in various of the agencies, that are slow-walking or refusing to share information with Pulte.”  Yet, here is MSNBC saying the withholding of intelligence never happens. Go figure.

WASHINGTON – […] Pulte, whom President Donald Trump tapped as acting spy chief in June, sent out notices of termination on Thursday to dozens of intelligence officials, MS Now reported, citing an intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

The intelligence official told MS Now that the Trump administration was removing officials “who they believe are deep state” and who have allegedly failed to provide complete pictures of available intelligence. (MORE)