Recode Decode: General Michael Hayden on Donald Trump’s ‘assault on intelligence’

Decoder with Nilay Patel

Vox Media Podcast Network

Business, Technology

4.2 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2018

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Retired U.S. Air Force General Michael Hayden talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his new book, “The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in the Age of Lies.” Hayden, who directed the NSA under President Clinton and the CIA under President George W. Bush, says the “golden age of electronic surveillance” is ending, as both regular Americans and foreign enemies are getting smarter about digital encryption. But as the intelligence community changes its tactics, the Trump administration has embraced the “post-truth” societal trend that is emerging around the world. Hayden explains how he would attempt to give Trump the best advice, what he would recommend for America’s still-active spies, and why the president’s behavior is so befuddling. Plus: How to prevent leaks, and what Facebook can do to be part of the solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Karr Swisher, Editor at Large at RECO.
0:03.3	You may know me as the Director of the National Insecurity Agency, but in my spare time I talk
0:07.4	tech and you're listening to RECO decode from the Vox Media Podcast Network.
0:11.7	Today in the red chair is Michael Hayden, a retired U.S. Air Force 4 star general and the
0:17.2	former Director of National Security Agency.
0:20.0	He's also the author of a new book which is fantastic called The Assault on Intelligence,
0:25.2	American National Security in the Age of Lies.
0:28.6	General Hayden, welcome to the Code decode.
0:30.6	He is a tremendous book.
0:31.6	I don't know if you know this, I went to the Foreign Service School.
0:34.7	It's really a desperate one to be in the CIA, but it didn't work out for me that way.
0:40.2	So I'm very interested in what's going on in intelligence and obviously it's been in
0:43.3	the news quite about this week especially.
0:46.8	So let's talk, I want to get to the book, but let's talk about your background in terms
0:51.2	of how you got to this.
0:52.9	And I do want to talk a lot about the digital elements of this.
0:56.0	Right.
0:57.0	So it does now focus on where we're going with intelligence and how it's happening.
1:01.8	And of course, sort of the Trump administration assault on the idea of what intelligence
1:05.9	should be and you've been an outspoken critic.
1:08.5	But let's talk a little bit about your background.
1:10.0	You've had a long history in this area.
	...

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