The issue focused on whether the United States should be willing to give up on the idea that it has the best interests of its people at heart.

"The answer is, of course," Mr. Trump told The New York Times last month. "We've never had such low regard for the intelligence community that our leadership has to be concerned about the ability of our intelligence agencies to protect this country. We've got to figure out ways to deal."

In the same interview, he added, "We