Former Cia Officials Band Together

Wary of the consequences of taking positions in the media, former US intelligence officials have adopted a more low-key strategy. Not just to carry more weight, but also to protect themselves from reprisals.

Published on 17/02/2025 at 04:00 GMT Reading time 2 minutes Raphaël Ramos

US President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an inauguration parade on 20 January 2025 in Washington, DC. © Anna Moneymaker/Pool via CNP/MaxPPP

The Steady State discreetly entered the public debate surrounding President Donald Trump‘s reorganisation of the US intelligence community with a letter addressed to the Senate and House intelligence committees.

The letter says that the Steady State represents around 200 unnamed former national security officials who worked for or with the CIA. They express “deep concern” about the deferred resignation – or “buyout” – and deferred retirement plans proposed for CIA employees by its new director, John Ratcliffe, and his deputy, Michael Ellis, who took up the job on 10 February.

Low-profile strategy

Larry Pfeiffer, a former top CIA and NSA official who is close to the former head of both agencies, general Michael Hayden, posted a copy of the letter on the X social network on 7 February. Beyond that, the initiative has remained under the radar. According to our sources, Pfeiffer does not play a leading role in the Steady State.

This low-profile, like the channels the organisation uses, show how the approach taken by former top national security officials has evolved to seek to influence matters while remaining less visible than in the past.

The letter’s authors call on the intelligence committees to intervene in order to preserve the CIA’s independence and apolitical nature. They criticise the “insidious” intentions of Ratcliffe and Ellis who, by giving primacy to an employee’s loyalty, risk eroding the agency’s experience, professionalism and institutional memory. They also point out the consequences of this human resources management style’s impact on the professional integrity and effectiveness of its staff, as well as their credibility with foreign partners.

During Trump’s first term in office, a number of former senior officials gave numerous speeches and took positions in the media, allowing the president to portray them as political opponents. Most of these figures, including Pfeiffer and Hayden, were targeted by Trump’s 20 January executive order revoking the security clearance of 50 former intelligence officials.

Risk of confusion

While the Steady State has returned to centre stage thanks to the first tumultuous weeks of Trump’s second term, the group previously made an appearance in 2020. They notably expressed support for Joe Biden‘s candidacy in a letter signed by more than 80 officials and diplomats, including Pfeiffer and former director of national intelligence (DNI) James Clapper. According to our sources, Steady State’s resurrection and its change of strategy are causing a certain amount of discomfort in security circles in the US capital, amid widespread fears of reprisals.

The Steady State’s initiative nevertheless did not stop the Senate confirming Trump’s controversial DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard on 12 February.

Raphaël Ramos