CIA Director Mike Pompeo said President Donald Trump has the same grasp of intelligence issues as 25-year veterans of the agency, The Hill reports.
"I have seen 25-year intelligence professionals receive briefings," he said during an interview with the American Enterprise Institute. "I would tell you that President Trump is the kind of recipient of our information at the same level that they are."
Pompeo noted Trump gets about a 30-minute briefing on intelligence issues nearly every day.
"He has the grounding for him to be able to grasp this information in a way that he can ask sophisticated questions that then lead to important policy discussions," Pompeo said.
The Washington Post had reported last month that intelligence officials play down information about Russia when Trump is briefed for fear of displeasing him.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Pompeo said his agency believes North Korea's missile program is aimed at coercion and just not self-defense. And he said Pyongyang's next likely move would be development of an arsenal of weapons and setting up a system to launch multiple missiles.
He said Trump continues to work on a diplomatic solution regarding North Korea. However, the CIA was providing him with other options, as well.
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