“It’s fear of the unknown. We don’t know what he’s really like under all the talk… How will that play out over the next four years or even the next few months? I don’t know if there is going to be a tidal wave of departures of people who were going to stay around to help Hillary’s team… I’m half dreading, half holding my breath going to work today," a senior national security official told The Washington Post newspaper on Wednesday.
Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director Michael Hayden was quoted by the publication as saying that intelligence officials who are set to brief Trump on US intelligence matters in the coming weeks will exercise some caution in due course, but will stick to professionalism.
During the election campaign, both Trump and Clinton had received preliminary intelligence briefings. In public speeches throughout the campaign, Trump made a number controversial statements related to US intelligence. The Republican said he could resume the hunt for terror suspects as well as waterboarding.
Trump has also generated discontent among the intelligence community by dismissing allegations of Russia being behind the Clinton campaign email leak as well as speaking of improving relations with Russia.
