WASHINGTON – Donald Trump has bypassed most of his daily intelligence briefings on global security threats in the two weeks since his victory, with VP-elect Mike Pence taking them instead.
The president-elect has had only two classified briefings, The Washington Post reported.
One senior intelligence official said he hoped the billionaire businessman would spend more time boning up on world affairs.
“Trump has a lot of catching up to do,” the official told the paper.
However, Pence — a governor and former congressman — has taken the intelligence briefing nearly every day as he heads up the transition team.
One member of that team noted the incoming commander-in-chief has been spending long hours in meetings trying to assemble his Cabinet.
“National security is Donald Trump’s Number One priority and I think he’s taking it very seriously,” Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said.
“Look how many leaders he’s met with, how many phone calls he’s done, positions he’s filled. People who are being critical need to get a life,” he said.
The secret briefings are designed to outline the security assessments of all 16 US intelligence agencies and update the commander-in-chief on the covert operations of the CIA.
Trump received his first intelligence briefing days after his victory and his second on Tuesday in New York before leaving for his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to spend the holiday with his family.
The Trump team did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Shortly Barack Obama’s election victory in 2008, he took regular intelligence briefings and also asked for “deep dives” on complicated matters, such as the Iran nuclear program and drone strikes in Pakistan.
George W. Bush delayed his first presidential briefing until Dec. 5, 2000, given the ongoing Florida recount in the race against Al Gore, but relied on daily briefings thereafter.
Bill Clinton’s first briefing was 10 days after he was elected in 1992, and he took nearly daily intelligence downloads during the rest of the transition while at home in Little Rock, Ark.