Donald Trump's reported plan to staff intelligence agencies with loyalists could actually cost lives, according to a former CIA officer.
Former CIA official John Sipher, who headed up Russian counterintelligence, appeared on MSNBC on Saturday to discuss national security in a second term of Trump.
Asked about Kash Patel, which MSNBC has described as "a hard-line MAGA loyalist," being considered for CIA director, Sipher explained how it could harm America.
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Sipher responded, "We work with foreign partners around the world, places you would not even think of to help us on a day-to-day basis. We are there every day working with them, developing relationships, developing trust and sharing information."
"Countries share information that could be very damaging to them if it came out, that is very beneficial to the United States and has saved lives. If they see the U.S. intelligence immunity and the CIA being unprofessional or being staffed by people who are not serious or are only looking to benefit the President of the United States' political or personal issues, they are going to stop sharing with us," he added. "The thing is, we won't even know it. They will smile, they will continue to go out and have drinks and do those things, but they are not going to share their most important secrets and it will end up hurting us, national security wise, and probably even losing lives because of it."
"Oof," the host replied.
