David Priess – The Cipher Brief

David Priess
Former Daily Intelligence Briefer, CIA

David Priess served during the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush administrations as an intelligence officer, manager of analysts, and daily intelligence briefer at CIA and as a desk officer at the State Department. After September 11, 2001, he delivered the President’s Daily Brief directly to some of the few senior national officials allowed to see it, including FBI Director Robert Mueller and Attorney General John Ashcroft. Priess wrote The President’s Book of Secrets: The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America’s Presidents, the inside history of the President’s Daily Brief—which included information from interviews with all of the living former presidents and vice presidents as well as dozens of other national security and intelligence leaders. He obtained his PhD in political science from Duke University and has taught classes at Duke, George Mason University, and the George Washington University. Priess now shares insights on national security, intelligence, and presidential politics frequently on broadcast media, in writing, and via presentations nationwide.

More From David Priess

Prepping the President for the Helsinki Summit

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This is Cipher Brief Level I Member Only content. It can be accessed via login or by signing up to become a Cipher Brief Member. Joining this high-level, security-focused community is only...

The President's Summit Adventure Through an Intelligence Lens

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OPINION: The eyes of an intelligence officer are trained to look for what a person’s behavior uncovers about his or her motivations and aspirations, which can then help predict future...

Open Up Intelligence Briefings to Third Party Candidates

August 26, 2016July 25, 2017

American exceptionalism comes in many forms. When it comes to intelligence, there has been a unique tradition in the United States for more than 60 years: the current president grants his two...

How Will the Next President Take the Daily Intelligence Brief?

March 4, 2016July 25, 2017

Upon entering the Oval Office, every president since Harry Truman has faced a seemingly mundane decision with huge implications: how to take his daily intelligence report. Starting with Lyndon...

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Farah Pandith

Farah Pandith is an author, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat. A world-leading expert and pioneer in countering violent extremism, she is a frequent media commentator and public speaker. She served as a political appointee under Presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and most recently she was the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities, serving both Secretaries Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. She has ...