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April 16th, 2024 | 10:12 AM ET

‘Amok’

Posted: July 30th, 2019

By John McLaughlin

John E. McLaughlin is the Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).  He served as Acting Director of Central Intelligence from July to September 2004 and as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence from October 2000 to July 2004. He was a US Army Officer in the 1960s, with service in Vietnam.

  • a-mok (adverb) – to behave uncontrollable and disruptively. Synonym: go berserk

In the midst of debate over whether President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Dan Coats as the next Director of National Intelligence is qualified for the job, the President made comments on Tuesday that may explain his thinking. 

Talking to a group of reporters, the President said that he had chosen U.S. Congressman from Texas John Ratcliffe to fill the job because “I think we need somebody like that in there.  We need somebody strong that can rein it in.  Because, as I think you’ve all learned, the intelligence agencies have run amok.  They have run amok.”

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