CIA PDB Briefer to President Trump | Senior Intel Analyst | Beth Sanner
About This Episode
In this episode of Combat Story, we hear from Beth Sanner, a former senior CIA analyst and President's Daily Brief (PDB) briefer to President Trump. Beth previously served as the Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Mission Integration, the Director of the PDB and as Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council.
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Beth also held several senior leadership positions in the CIA’s Directorate of Analysis, including leading the analytic effort on South Asia and serving as the deputy for analysis for Russian and European affairs. In this episode, we cover her time as a briefer to Trump, her stint with the NSC, her position at CIA covering Russia and Eurasia shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, and leading the Career Analyst Program (the training program for all CIA analysts).
The PDB Briefer is a prestigious position and not a political appointee. We also interviewed former military analyst and PDB Briefer to President Obama Michelle DiGruttolo if you’re interested in hearing her perspective as well.
With that, I hope you enjoy this fascinating inside look at the upper echelons of the analytic side of the CIA as much as I did.
Show Notes:
Beth Sanner
Chapters
- 00:00Intro
- 00:57Guest Introduction: Beth Sanner
- 02:18Beth's Career and Analytical Process
- 05:49Consultancy and Expertise
- 09:41Early Life and Influences
- 13:51Career Path and Key Positions
- 32:15Mentorship and Leadership
- 38:05Logistics and Program Growth Challenges
- 39:13The Role of Note Takers in High-Stakes Calls
- 41:17Experiences Aboard Air Force One
- 43:04Becoming a Presidential Daily Briefer
- 53:36Building Trust with the President
- 55:47Handling Personal and Professional Challenges
- 01:00:01The Human Side of Intelligence Work
- 01:11:36Reflections and Final Thoughts
