Overview
- Calder Walton published a column on Monday arguing that more foreign intelligence services are likely targeting President Trump than have targeted past presidents because his decision‑making is unpredictable and highly newsworthy.
- Walton says practical access points make monitoring easier, citing the president’s widely known phone number, press corps cold‑call interviews and what he describes as poor physical security at Mar‑a‑Lago.
- The column links earlier examples of mishandled classified material found at Trump properties to current risks and warns that those operational lapses give foreign services chances to recruit sources or intercept information.
- Walton criticizes recent senior intelligence and defense appointments as politically driven and inexperienced, and he disputes the evidentiary basis of Trump’s public use of declassified documents alleging Chinese election meddling.
- He warns the cumulative effect could erode U.S. credibility and soft power, benefiting strategic rivals, and urges scrutiny of access controls, personnel choices and public disclosures as the next things to watch.