President Trump's pick for CIA director, Gina Haspel, secured enough votes this week to make it through a full Senate confirmation.
But during her confirmation hearing two weeks ago, her destiny as the next head of the CIA -- an agency she has dedicated her entire life to -- wasn't so certain.
Democrats grilled her about morality and enhanced interrogation. They tried to bait her into condemning hundreds of CIA agents who participated in the program in order to gather intelligence on the terrorists who slaughtered thousands on 9/11. They repeatedly asked her if enhanced interrogation "represented American values."
Haspel didn't condemn the practice and said it helped gather crucial intelligence to stop attacks against the U.S., but vowed never to implement it again as CIA director.
Former CIA officer and CNN contributor Phil Mudd watched Haspel's hearing in disgust, knowing very well the Senators berating the four time CIA station chief for following orders were informed about enhanced interrogation tactics when they were being used.
"I don't appreciate the collective amnesia. Let's go dirty and let's go ugly. I was among the CIA officers 15 years ago who spoke with the Congress in detail about the techniques we used. I spoke about the techniques authorized by the Department of Justice. I spoke to Republicans and Democrats. They were either silent or supportive. We talked to the people who represent the rule of law," Mudd said during a recent interview. "They told us this was not torture, that it complied with the constitution and that it complied with U.S. law."
"You can vote against Gina Haspel, but don't give me the collective amnesia about how it's on CIA. I want to talk to the Senators who told us that they represented American values and conveniently in 2002 and 2003 this represented American values. Now that we don't face the same threat and we have new Senators it's okay to attack one of my former colleagues? I am pissed off. This is collective amnesia. We didn't do it, America did it. Get over it."
“I am pissed off.” Phil Mudd slams senators for “selective amnesia” when grilling CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel over interrogation techniques that were legal, “We didn’t do it, America did it.” https://t.co/QM1blr1AJt pic.twitter.com/o5O84CdYdF
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) May 9, 2018
Haspel was voted out of the Senate Intelligence Committee 10-5 Wednesday and will face a full vote sometime this week.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member