Story highlights Mike Rogers: Trump, intel community locked in public conflict; unusual for incoming administration, and dangerous

He says clashes could drive away key intelligence workers, make foreign assets unwilling to risk helping US

Mike Rogers is a CNN national security commentator, the host of CNN's "Declassified" TV series, and is the past chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The views expressed are his own.

(CNN) As the 2016 election receded and the New Year began, there emerged a curious confrontation between the President-elect and the intelligence communities.

Day after day, we saw news roll out of clashes over scheduled meetings, the accuracy of information and analysis, and what the future holds for the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and indeed the future orientation of America's intelligence organs. This tension has continued unabated.

It is important to recognize that there is always some friction between an incoming president and his (or, in the future, her) intelligence agencies. During the transition and the early days of the presidency, the occupant of the Oval Office and his intelligence representatives participate in a choreographed dance -- each learning about the other and adjusting styles and tones (delivery, not facts) to suit respective needs.

What is unique about these most recent incidents is the public nature of the disagreements between President-elect Trump and the intelligence officials. Of course, in the past, stories of how and what intelligence the president consumed would leak out. It is part of the insider politics of Washington.

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But never before have the disagreements taken on such a high profile in the media. President-elect Trump takes to Twitter to air his disagreements with, or criticisms of, the intelligence community and just as quickly the agencies themselves fire back.

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