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Are US Spies All Scared Off By Trump?

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March 10, 2019 2:46 p.m.
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In response to my post below, a number of readers wrote in to say that it’s hard to believe that Chinese intelligence didn’t get wind of Cindy Yang’s influence operation out of Mar-a-Lago. We can’t know that for sure. But it’s a very obvious and very important question.TPM Reader ST asked whether it was possible another counterintelligence investigation might already have been launched into this issue. If so, have the congressional Gang of Eight been briefed on it.

These are all distant hypotheticals. But they raise a more immediate and real question. Given everything that’s happened over the last two years, with the various FBI officials who’ve been fired, seniors agents who’ve been pilloried or kicked out of the Bureau, how big an appetite do we think there is for launching counter-intelligence investigations that even get close to the President or key supporters. Just in the nature of things, I find it hard to believe this hasn’t had a big effect.

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