Former CIA Director John Brennan appeared on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) on Monday to discuss President Donald Trump’s strategy and the Justice Department’s conduct with the midterm elections approaching, with federal contests scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Brennan held the agency’s top post from 2013 to 2017.

Anchor Alicia Menendez noted that Justice Department guidance generally cautions against steps that could influence voters before an election, including announcing investigations or charges during the so-called 90-day “quiet period” ahead of federal contests.

The raid on Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) home and the investigation into her citizenship application have raised concerns about potential violations of that guidance. Omar has represented the Minneapolis-centered 5th Congressional District since 2019. Asked what worries him, Brennan warned that Trump could use federal agencies to interfere with elections or contest the results.

“Well, the office of the presidency has tremendous authorities that it can use, the executive branch, as we’ve seen, whether it be the Department of Justice or ICE or other elements of the Department of Homeland Security, to disrupt the day of the election or to actually challenge the certifications afterward,” Brennan said.

Brennan also accused Trump of attempting to keep the GOP in power, while faulting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his defense of the administration. Blanche previously worked as Trump’s personal criminal defense lawyer before joining the administration.

“I think Donald Trump is going to do whatever he can get away with. And unfortunately, we have people like Todd Blanche, who I think is just showing how devious a lawyer he is by trying to defend the indefensible,” Brennan asserted. “Because the things that he’s been saying on the talk shows this weekend, I think, certainly show that he has an unprincipled view and an attitude toward his job as attorney general.”

In Brennan’s view, Trump has no regard for fair elections and has gone as far as branding contests rigged when they do not go his way. “These elections are so critically important, and it’s rather curious as to why all the elections that go Donald Trump’s way, he has no problem with, in terms of saying that they were fraudulently achieved,” he explained. “Any time it goes against his way or his preferred outcome, he claims fraud, he claims a rigged election, he claims some type of interference.”

Under President Barack Obama, Brennan was credited with modernizing the CIA, chiefly by strengthening its digital capabilities to better counter cyber threats. His career at the agency began in 1980, when he served as an analyst specializing in the Near East and South Asia — decades before his promotion to CIA director. Since leaving government, Brennan has been an outspoken critic of Trump, who revoked his security clearance in 2018.

Source: Alternet