Jeff Greenfield:

I think one of the big stories was the fact that Sue Gordon, the deputy DNI, Director of National Intelligence was forced out of her job by her boss who is himself being pushed aside. Dan Coats. Because the president doesn't trust the intelligence he gets. He doesn't like it when it contradicts his ideas. Now Sue Gordon is the kind of person that a government should embrace. Both party intelligence experts really respect her. They wanted her to get the chief job. And for her to be brushed aside as a part of a piece.

We also saw a scientist in the Department of Agriculture quit because he wasn't permitted to present evidence that climate change was having an effect on nutrients like rice. And we heard the FBI saying you know we really want to focus on domestic terrorism by which they mean white nationalist terrorism but we're really uncomfortable if that's going to affect somehow people in the president's base.

And what's the common theme? That people in power don't want to hear facts that challenge their premises and whether it's been Vietnam or Iraq or God knows how many other examples, when people in power don't want to hear evidence that may force them to change your mind, you've got a problem.