President Trump just exposed Arthur Schlesinger’s full 15-page memo calling for JFK to break up the CIA in 1961.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
Schlesinger called the CIA a rogue “state within a state.”
“No one knows how many potential problems … are being created by CIA clandestine operations.”
🧵THREAD pic.twitter.com/V4xNyESN1v
Schlesinger: “The contemporary CIA possesses many of the characteristics of a state within a state.”
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“There is no doctrine governing our conduct of clandestine operations.”
Schlesinger slammed the idea that the CIA should “fight fire with fire” to defeat communism.
“If… pic.twitter.com/dymH78SoAP
Schlesinger: “CIA operations have not been held effectively subordinate to US foreign policy.”
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“In short, no one knows how many potential problems for US foreign policy — and how much potential friction with friendly states — are being created at this moment by CIA clandestine… pic.twitter.com/7LYnR3G6uh
In practice, Schlesinger told JFK, the State Department had become a “rubber stamp” for CIA clandestine operations.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“The concept of ‘contingency planning’ has legitimized the concrete preparation of operations still presumably in a hypothetical stage.”
“If a group is assembled… pic.twitter.com/DStcoreq6H
In practice, Schlesinger told JFK, the State Department had become a “rubber stamp” for CIA clandestine operations.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“The concept of ‘contingency planning’ has legitimized the concrete preparation of operations still presumably in a hypothetical stage.”
“If a group is assembled… pic.twitter.com/DStcoreq6H
“CIA has effectively ‘made’ policy in many parts of the world.”
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“A number of governments still in power know that they have been targets of CIA attempts at overthrow — not a state of mind calculated to stimulate friendly feelings toward” the US.
Schlesinger recalled Assistant… pic.twitter.com/z4v3jsJGyd
Schlesinger proposed that JFK de-couple the CIA’s clandestine operations from its research and analysis work.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“If intelligence is too closely connected with operations, then those committed to a particular operation will tend to select out the intelligence which validates the… pic.twitter.com/z0ExPFbfzx
In conclusion, Schlesinger proposed “a drastic overhaul of the State Department” to rein in CIA clandestine operations.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“The State Department would be granted general clearance authority over all clandestine activity.”
Schlesinger also proposed splitting the CIA into two… pic.twitter.com/8Kp7EPiaym
One month after JFK’s assassination, former President Harry Truman echoed Schlesinger’s fears outlined in this 1961 memo.
— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) March 19, 2025
“There is something about the way the CIA has been functioning that is casting a shadow over our historic position.”
Truman wrote that he set up the CIA to… pic.twitter.com/CBICgApIrA
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