“Given the current administration’s approach to, well, everything, the possibilities are unfortunately vast,” Masnick said. “Is it about domestic surveillance? Something about current [Office of the Director of National Intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard? International operations gone sideways? Some new interpretation of the CIA’s authorities that would make Americans’ hair stand on end if they knew about it? We’re left guessing, just like we were guessing about the PATRIOT Act’s secret interpretation back in 2011.”

I can’t remember which book it was, but I remember reading that there was allegedly a more liberal faction within the CIA at one point that was at odds with the conservative faction, but not sure how much truth there is to that.

I think since around the time the patriot act was passed (?) the president has appointed the director, so the CIA is generally going to align with the sitting president’s politics. The director Trump chose to lead the CIA for his second term previously attempted to pass a bill to get rid of the Chevron deference while he was a congressman in TX.

The bill failed, but SCOTUS conveniently overturned Chevron in 2024. Which means less federal oversight for Chevron and other corporations now that Trump is in office. The CIA, under Trump’s director has now invaded Venezuela and overthrown Maduro, which will allow more profits for Chevron (before the invasion they had an agreement that allowed the Venezuelan government the majority of their profits) and the CIA is establishing a permanent base in Venezuela.

I doubt the CIA was ever doing ultra wholesome shit under Obama or Biden, but going to war and invading foreign countries for oil seems to be standard conservative policy in the same vein as the Bush/Cheney legacy.