The Deep State Is Leaking Trump’s Most Sensitive Undercover Operations To The Washington Post

Anonymous sources have exposed sensitive details of the Trump administration’s reported plans to establish a clandestine espionage program targeting China to legacy media, potentially revealing American intelligence strategies to foreign adversaries.

The Pentagon is reportedly developing a deep-cover intelligence operation that would embed American operatives within private-sector businesses to gather intelligence on China and other foreign adversaries, according to The Washington Post. Six individuals familiar with the initiative disclosed details about its leadership, capabilities and internal planning despite the program’s sensitive nature and the Pentagon’s denial of its existence.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond for comment.

The alleged new “non-official cover officer” program is being headed by Tom Rakusan. Rakusan’s background includes a 39-year career in the CIA in which he held a leadership position during the first Trump administration. Following his 2021 retirement, he worked at a private equity firm co-founded by now Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, the Washington Post alleges. He has now returned to the Pentagon as Senior Adviser to Feinberg, according to his LinkedIn page.

Several of the leakers appear to be former colleagues with personal grudges against Rakusan. One, a White House official during Trump’s first term, referred to him as a “pipe swinger.”

“Rakusan just wants to build his own CIA down in the Pentagon,” an anonymous former CIA official told The Washington Post.

A perceived turf war appears to be another motivation for individuals leaking to the press. The CIA’s non official cover program shrinking — with many officers retiring, and none applying to fill their roles. Historically, the CIA has also been wary of allowing other agencies to participate in human intelligence operations, the Washington Post alleges. If this program exists, the CIA may view it as a threat.

The Pentagon “has a lot of money and a lot of authorities and a lot of capabilities,” another former senior CIA official told the outlet, adding “And God bless ’em.”

“This query appears to be built on information that is simply not true,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Jacob Bliss asserted in a statement received by the Washington Post. “Whoever is feeding you these claims are either badly misinformed or deliberately leading you astray to peddle their fantasies.”