Buzzing houseflies distract Trump during CIA director's briefings: report

CIA director Gina Haspel, like other administration officials before her, has found it difficult to gain and keep President Donald Trump's attention.

Haspel has relied on her skills as a spy to charm the president and make her case in meetings using photographs and emotional appeals, although his attention often strays, reported the New York Times.

CIA officers are cautioned not to use their recruiting abilities on co-workers or other U.S. officials, and colleagues and friends deny that Haspel is manipulating the president in that way.

Instead, they say, Haspel uses her natural skills to get the president to listen to her proposals and briefings and protect the agency, he has publicly attacked.

For example, the CIA director was trying to brief Trump early in her tenure, but she noticed he kept getting distracted by houseflies buzzing around the Oval Office.

Trump kept getting angry about the flies, and was unable to focus on the intelligence briefing, according to two officials familiar with the situation, and Haspel later sent the president flypaper to prevent future distractions.