Senior officials within the administration have said that President Trump continues to stay informed on national security matters through consistent communication with his intelligence leadership team. According to a White House spokesperson, the president remains “constantly apprised of classified briefings” and maintains regular contact with his national security advisers. The intelligence community, they added, works actively to provide him with real-time updates on critical developments.
However, the White House declined to address why Trump has participated in fewer daily Presidential Daily Brief (PDB) presentations compared to his first term.
Former intelligence officials emphasized the value of these in-person briefings, noting they provide a direct channel for career professionals to present vital, and sometimes uncomfortable, realities to the president free from political filters. There’s concern that without regular interaction with professional intelligence briefers, other top advisers may hesitate or fail to deliver the full scope of what the intelligence community assesses.
The pool of officials with access to the PDB also appears smaller now than during Trump’s previous administration. Reports have indicated that access has been more tightly controlled, further limiting who within the government can review or discuss classified intelligence materials with the president.
Trump’s national security team has already undergone significant changes in the early days of his second term, continuing a pattern of turnover that marked his first four years. Most recently, he removed his national security adviser, Mike Waltz, who had faced internal criticism for some time.
Experts in the intelligence field argue that regular briefings by trained intelligence officers are important because they offer nuanced assessments rooted in objective analysis rather than filtered through political agendas. This method, they suggest, helps presidents receive more accurate and actionable information, especially in fast-evolving global situations.
Different presidents have approached intelligence briefings in their own ways. President George W. Bush preferred daily, in-person briefings and regularly engaged with analysts. Barack Obama often read the PDB himself but still held frequent meetings to discuss its contents and policy implications. He reportedly received in-person briefings 44 percent of the time during his first term, according to earlier research.
President Biden reportedly received one or two briefings weekly but consistently read the materials and used the PDB to facilitate group discussions among his top national security aides and Cabinet members.
Trump, during his first term, reportedly showed limited interest in reading the briefing book. His briefers adapted by using visuals like maps and infographics and by delivering information in a more narrative format. These methods were considered more effective in capturing his attention.
Trump’s sometimes tense relationship with the intelligence community was well-documented throughout his first term. Now, as his second term unfolds, the reduced frequency of briefings could reflect how he plans to prioritize or downplay the role of structured intelligence reporting in the years ahead.