Those criticizing President Donald Trump over his claim that torture works in gaining information about terrorism forget that one of President Barack Obama's top Cabinet members said the exact same thing, veteran investigative journalist Ronald Kessler tells Newsmax TV.
"The media has demonized Trump over his claim that enhanced interrogation works," Kessler said Monday to Steve Malzberg on "America Talks Live."
"Well guess what? In December of 2014, this person said, 'Our review indicates that interrogations of detainees on whom EITs (enhanced interrogations techniques) were used did produce intelligence that helped thwart attack plans, capture terrorists, and save lives.'
"Guess who said that? John Brennan, President Obama's own CIA director at a press conference. And yet you never see that in the press."
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Kessler — author of "The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents," published by Crown Forum — also said Obama "took his own life in his hands" by ignoring a panel's recommendations to appoint an outside Secret Service director to "shake things up" in the wake of cover-ups.
"He [said] would not tolerate this cover-up culture but instead he appointed [Joe] Clancy. I think it goes to Obama simply not understanding danger," Kessler said.
That's why he allowed ISIS [the Islamic State] to flourish, why he allowed our troops [in Iraq] to be withdrawn. This involves his own personal safety, his own family's safety and yet just like a teenager ignored all the warnings," Kessler said.
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