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Homeland star Mandy Patinkin said President Trump wants it "both ways" with the US intelligence community.
While on the one hand he denigrates any reports or conclusions that disprove his agenda, he praises any that do.
The veteran actor made his remarks during a press conference for the 8th and final season of the show Homeland.
Patinkin told reporters:
"I really have profound respect for [the CIA's] admissions of their mistakes."
"I have to call out the irony of the last three years… the contagion and cancer that affects the world globally. To go to war on the intelligence community… you can't have it both ways."
"You can't wake up in the morning and in your tweet say we had imminent knowledge that an event was going to take place, so that's why we did this, and in the same breath say that's from the intelligence community but then choose to ignore the intelligence community when they talk about Russian interference in the election."
"It doesn't work that way."
The Trump administration originally claimed the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was due to an "imminent threat."
Mandy Patinkin just delivered an emotional speech at #TCA20, decrying Trump’s hypocrisy of citing intelligence to j… https://t.co/WSGkqg795m— Eric Deggans at NPR (@Eric Deggans at NPR) 1578955515.0
But after the White House could produce no evidence a threat existed and further details emerged about the timeframe of the President's approval of the political assassination, they walked back their claims. By Monday, the President said it "doesn't really matter" that there was no imminent threat "because of [Soleimani's] horrible past."
Threat assessment and mitigation is a core function of the US intelligence community that Trump disparages each time they fail to march in lockstep with his agenda. Denigrating the civil servants who put Constitution, oath and country before Trump has been a recurrent theme for the 45th President.
Not everyone is a fan of that aspect of the Trump White House.
Star of TV series #Homeland defends real-life #CIA operatives who #Trump undermines, saying he was proud to rep… https://t.co/vVgTx5H7kb— Robert Morton (@Robert Morton) 1579008242.0
I’ve always loved Mandy Patinkin! He could not be more spot on about this! https://t.co/iuAQcFQolm— Ashley Osborne 🌱🛹 (@Ashley Osborne 🌱🛹) 1579021008.0
I’d feel a lot better about Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin at the helm than Trump administration. #Baghdad #Iraq https://t.co/QwWMPNjwvi— Nancy Levine (@Nancy Levine) 1577838292.0
@realDonaldTrump Then show us evidence that he was an imminent threat! Also since when did you trust our intelligence community?— Abel Marowitz (@Abel Marowitz) 1579061402.0
@DavidCurl12 @RepDougCollins No. I thought day one, he was thanking Putin and Wikileaks.— Andy Gastley (@Andy Gastley) 1579061605.0
And President Trump was not the only one taken to task.
“Dear Republicans: You didn’t object when you heard Donald Trump say he likes to grab women “by the pussy.” You di… https://t.co/wC5Qcybt1r— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059507.0
You didn’t object when he likened our intelligence community to “Nazis.” You didn’t object when he stood before th… https://t.co/HqxiMVjBX1— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059780.0
You didn’t object when he emerged from that meeting and sided with the Russian President over the findings of our o… https://t.co/x7IrsvIFAa— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059839.0
You didn’t object when he stood before the cameras and said; “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to fi… https://t.co/KMmqSU6a5W— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059859.0
You didn’t object when it was confirmed that the basis for the Trump Tower meeting was a total fabrication. That it… https://t.co/c5gHTfrjEH— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059901.0
You didn’t object when it was revealed that Trump himself floated the cover story of adoptions from Russia. You di… https://t.co/bVRXq25bNS— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059924.0
You didn’t object when the Trump campaign declined to inform the FBI about the Russian advances. You didn’t object… https://t.co/21YTeMunOF— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059945.0
You sure as hell didn’t object when those very same four battleground states miraculously shifted towards trump on Election Day.— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059980.0
You didn’t object when Trump kicked his Attorney General out of the room and asked the FBI Director to let his Nati… https://t.co/tmFlOMKEaE— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579059994.0
You didn’t object when Trump fired that FBI Director for declining to let Flynn off the hook.— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579060035.0
So here’s my question for you: What about any of the above do you believe entitles you to the right to call yoursel… https://t.co/5kL7CpP0U6— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579060342.0
When this nightmare ends, we’ll remind you of just how patriotic you were during these days. Your karma is gonna sting.” ~ Bruce Lindner— Deborah Harvey (@Deborah Harvey) 1579060356.0
It seems there was an imminent threat being pointed out by those members of the law enforcement and intelligence community that weren't appointed by President Trump. And it was not Soleimani.