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CBS Evening News was steeped in mystery Tuesday as they hyped anonymous sources that suggested President Donald Trump was playing up the threat from the Middle East. “There is a controversy tonight inside U.S. intelligence over whether the Trump administration is exaggerating the threat from Muslim countries,” announced anchor Scott Pelley as he noted debate is encouraged, “But Jeff Pegues reports that this is different because some analysts believe they're being pressured to report the results that the White House wants to hear.”
To kick off his report, Jeff Pegues cast doubt on Trump’s truthfulness in claims that the temporary travel restrictions would help keep America safe. “But within the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with carrying out the order, intelligence analysts are still split on the threat,” he asserted.
He pushed claims from unnamed sources that said trust in the White House and DHS leadership was so terrible that some employees were looking to turn on the administration:
Former and current government source say the DHS' intelligence unit is so divided, some employees are considering asking for protection as whistleblowers or hiring lawyers. That's because their conclusions do not match those of the White House. Last week, this internal DHS intelligence document was leaked to the media. It determined citizens of the seven band countries were rarely implicated in U.S.-based terrorism. Even though the document was prepared by experienced intelligence officers, it was rejected by DHS leadership. And the White House pressed for a new assessment.