The meeting was not part of a “deep state” conspiracy. Carter, a foreign policy novice, had asked for a series of CIA briefings on world affairs that would help him better prepare for the upcoming presidential campaign, particularly the debates. Most major party nominees receive CIA briefings, but Carter had requested his early—before he formally secured the Democratic nomination. President Ford, displaying magnanimity toward the man he would likely face in the general election, approved a series of limited briefings by Bush and CIA experts.
