CIA PDB Briefer to President Trump | Senior Intel Analyst | Beth Sanner

Combat Story

August 3, 2024

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.

More from Beth

Here you will find Beth's quick takes on Iran's nuclear program, the role of intelligence analysis, and what comes next.
A former top intelligence official weighs in on the war of words over Iran’s nuclear facilities and how intelligence assessments are supposed to happen.
New questions about the production - and consumption - of the President's Daily Brief