Trump frequently refuses to believe intelligence briefings: Fired intelligence official Sue Gordon
US President Donald Trump is technically obese and does little exercise apart from golf, but his doctor says he is in good health (AFP Photo/MANDEL NGAN)

On Tuesday, former Deputy Director of Intelligence Sue Gordon said that while she worked for President Donald Trump, he consistently refused to believe the findings of intelligence officials.


Trump, said Gordon in her speech to the Women's Foreign Policy Group, has two responses to intelligence information: "One, 'I don't think that's true,'. The one is 'I'm not sure I believe that, and the other is the second order and third order effects. 'Why is that true? Why are we there? Why is this what you believe? Why do we do that?' Those sorts of things."

Trump forced the resignation of Sue Gordon after firing Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats in August, which allowed him to directly appoint counterterrorism official Joseph Maguire as acting head of the agency.