DNI DOA: Trump’s War on Intel
On Thursday, February 20th, Donald Trump ejected acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire from his post, replacing him with partisan hack Richard Grenell. The position was created in the wake of the 9-11 attacks to coordinate the output of 17 intelligence agencies and provide useful, integrated information to the President and Congress, relating to national security. All Executive Branch employees serve at the pleasure of the President, and Trump was well within his rights to make this change. The question is: why now?
According to reporting, the proximate cause of Maguire’s dismissal was Trump’s rage at a briefing given to the House Intelligence Committee by ODNI staffer Shelby Pierson the week before, where she confirmed that Russia continues to interfere with the 2020 election, with a view to helping re-elect Trump. Let’s just take a beat to absorb that. The President of the United States was fuming mad, not at the fact that Russia continues to meddle in our elections, but that this information was lawfully relayed by the appropriate parties to duly elected government personnel who have a right and responsibility to hear it.
Really? We’ve sunk pretty far, haven’t we?
As with everything that happens under the sun, the basic facts of this story are prominently displayed in the day’s sky. A general theme of intelligence matters being conspicuous in the day’s headlines is seen in the exact square from asteroid Intel at 1 Sagittarius to the Sun at 1 Pisces. In trine to the Sun is asteroid Josefa at 2 Scorpio, for ousted DNI Joseph Maguire. Josefa is at station, about to turn retrograde two days later, a literal “turning point” for Maguire and his career. Josefa also opposes Uranus at 3 Taurus, suggesting the sudden and unexpected nature of the dismissal, as well as Trump’s volatile berating of him at their meeting on Valentine’s Day, after the House Intel Committee presentation. (Asteroid Richard, for replacement Richard Grenell, forms a wide T-Square with the Josefa/Uranus opposition from 11 Aquarius, reflecting his equally sudden and unexpected elevation to the post.)
Leading that presentation was Shelby Pierson, represented by asteroid Pearson (phonetic match/alternate spelling) at 18 Pisces, conjoined Neptune, ruling spies and espionage, at 17 Pisces, and Mercury, ruling news and data, at 11 Pisces. Pearson also opposes asteroid Nemesis at 22 Virgo, defining Pierson as Trump’s bete noire and perceived enemy (he was reportedly outraged that Dems might use this info against him politically). Trump’s ire over the issue is portrayed by Mars at 2 Capricorn squared asteroid Russia at 5 Aries, with asteroid House at 1 Aries, which is also exactly trine asteroid Intel at 1 Sag: it was the facts involving Russian interference (Russia) given to the House Intelligence Committee (House/Intel) which sent Trump over the edge (Mars).
Asteroid Moskva, Russian for Moscow, appears at 24 Capricorn, exactly conjoined Pluto and also conjunct Saturn at 27 Cap, indicating Moscow’s power play (Pluto) in manipulating (also Pluto) the outcome of the presidential (Saturn) election. Pluto/Moskva is semisquare asteroid Troemper at 7 Pisces with Mercury at 11, designating Russia’s preferred candidate (Troemper) in the election (Mercury). Troemper also conjoins the Sun at 1 Pisces, which is moving toward its exact conjunction with the President’s celestial referent, to occur March 3rd, Super Tuesday. Expect Trump to dominate the news cycle at this time (though we hardly need a crystal ball for that prediction, do we?).
Grenell is an interim figure, with little hope of Senate confirmation for the post; as a permanent replacement, Trump was said to be considering Utah Representative Christopher Stewart, until a 2016 clip surfaced of the congressman describing Trump as “our Mussolini”. Ooops. Asteroid Christophe at 12 Capricorn, aligned with Jupiter at 17 Cap, shows the potential for a more expansive, prominent role, but that was scotched by asteroids Steward at 17 Virgo and Stuart at 21 Sagittarius (both alternates for “Stewart”), with Steward conjunct Nemesis at 22 Virgo and Stuart squared it.
So Trump moved on to Georgia Representative Douglas Collins, a vocal supporter of the President during the recent House Impeachment Hearings. Unfortunately, no one bothered to consult with Collins first, who twelve hours after his nomination was floated, declined the honor, preferring to run for Senate in Georgia. Asteroids Douglass at 7 Taurus and Collins at 1 Taurus both conjoin Uranus at 3 Taurus, with asteroid Douglas at 1 Cap conjunct Mars at 2, and in trine to Uranus, representing Doug Collins’ (Douglas/Douglass, Collins) unexpected (Uranus) refusal (Mars).
Where he goes next for a DNI is anyone’s guess, but the implication is clear, and dire: having debased the CIA and FBI, co-opted the Justice Department, and hollowed out the State Department, Donald Trump is moving on to politicize national security. And the Russians are backing him up, every step of the way.