US Army General Nominated to Lead NSA Admits He Knows Little About Controversial Spying Practices.
The nomination of Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) has raised concerns about his understanding of the agency's most contentious practices, particularly backdoor searches on Americans. In recent weeks, Rudd was repeatedly asked by lawmakers about how he would use the NSA's vast spying powers, but his answers were largely vague.
Rudd, a career Army officer, claims to know little about the two-decade debate over "backdoor" searches on Americans, which is seen as one of the most contentious issues surrounding NSA surveillance. When questioned by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) about whether he would reject requests from President Trump to use the NSA to spy on American citizens, Rudd replied that he would "execute my responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution and all applicable laws."
Slotkin's question was sparked by reports that Trump had instructed his administration to identify potential targets for surveillance based on their social media activity. The senator's inquiry highlights the concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the unchecked expansion of executive power under Trump's presidency.
Critics argue that Rudd's lack of clarity on these issues raises doubts about his ability to lead the NSA effectively. "Despite Rudd's assurances that he will uphold his constitutional duties as NSA Director, the agency has a long history of violating Americans' privacy and other constitutional rights through sweeping data collection practices," said Hajar Hammado, a senior policy adviser at Demand Progress.
As Rudd faces more questioning by lawmakers next week, advocates for civil liberties and press freedom are watching with concern. They say that his nomination is part of a broader trend towards authoritarianism in the Trump administration, which has seen court orders ignored and media outlets under investigation.
The Intercept's editor-in-chief Ben Messig has called on readers to support the publication's efforts to expand its reporting capacity to counter this trend. The Intercept is an independent news organization that relies on donations from readers like you to continue its critical coverage of government actions and their impact on democracy.
The nomination of Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) has raised concerns about his understanding of the agency's most contentious practices, particularly backdoor searches on Americans. In recent weeks, Rudd was repeatedly asked by lawmakers about how he would use the NSA's vast spying powers, but his answers were largely vague.
Rudd, a career Army officer, claims to know little about the two-decade debate over "backdoor" searches on Americans, which is seen as one of the most contentious issues surrounding NSA surveillance. When questioned by Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) about whether he would reject requests from President Trump to use the NSA to spy on American citizens, Rudd replied that he would "execute my responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution and all applicable laws."
Slotkin's question was sparked by reports that Trump had instructed his administration to identify potential targets for surveillance based on their social media activity. The senator's inquiry highlights the concerns about the erosion of civil liberties and the unchecked expansion of executive power under Trump's presidency.
Critics argue that Rudd's lack of clarity on these issues raises doubts about his ability to lead the NSA effectively. "Despite Rudd's assurances that he will uphold his constitutional duties as NSA Director, the agency has a long history of violating Americans' privacy and other constitutional rights through sweeping data collection practices," said Hajar Hammado, a senior policy adviser at Demand Progress.
As Rudd faces more questioning by lawmakers next week, advocates for civil liberties and press freedom are watching with concern. They say that his nomination is part of a broader trend towards authoritarianism in the Trump administration, which has seen court orders ignored and media outlets under investigation.
The Intercept's editor-in-chief Ben Messig has called on readers to support the publication's efforts to expand its reporting capacity to counter this trend. The Intercept is an independent news organization that relies on donations from readers like you to continue its critical coverage of government actions and their impact on democracy.
this nomination is a total red flag 
, i mean come on Rudd doesnt even know how to use the NSA's powers right 
, its like leaving a toddler in charge of nuclear missiles 
... what about all those backdoor searches on americans?! 
thats some serious civil liberties issues right there 
... and now that trumps gonna use it for his own agenda 
, we gotta be super careful 
... the intercept is doing great work btw 
, they need our support to keep exposing these shady governments moves 
. It's not that hard to understand the implications of what you're doing with all that surveillance power.
. It feels like we're sliding into a darker era where civil liberties are being trampled 
. The Intercept is doing some great work exposing these issues, but they need our support to keep pushing back 
I'm getting super worried about this whole NSA thing, man... I mean, it's already sketchy enough when we're talking about backdoor searches on Americans, but now they're saying the new head knows basically nothing about it 
. We need someone who's on top of these issues, not just some dude who's gonna figure it out as he goes along 
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This is exactly why we need independent media outlets like The Intercept to keep us informed and hold the powers that be accountable. We can't let these agencies just sweep everything under the rug anymore... it's time for some real transparency, you feel me? 
. A general leading the NSA, the agency responsible for our online safety, has admitted to knowing little about the practices they're actually gonna implement? That's a major red flag 
. It's like putting someone in charge of managing your finances without knowing how budgeting works... not cool. And what really freaks me out is that Trump might try to use the NSA for personal revenge or surveillance 
. The Intercept's got a point, we gotta support them in holding the government accountable 
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. This whole thing just smells like more of the same old authoritarianism we've seen in this admin 
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Like, a 2-decade debate over backdoor searches and he's just like "uhh, not my thing" 
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. The fact that he can't even provide a clear answer on backdoor searches raises serious concerns about his ability to lead the agency effectively 
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. I'm all for keeping our country safe, but not at the expense of our freedoms 
. Let's focus on creating a system that works for everyone, not just those in power 
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. I get that everyone's got to learn as they go, but come on, two decades of debate and now it's like, 'oh well, I'll just figure it out' 
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