2018 Annual Democratic Dinner with CIA Intelligence Officer (ret.) Jonna Mendez

A view of the Trump Administration from the prospective of an American Intelligence Officer


Even before he took office, Trump was expressing his mistrust of the American intelligence community. While he has still not said even one disparaging word about Vladimir Putin, Trump has had many negative comments about the many American intelligence agencies. Many now believe that this is his way of distracting the public from the shortcomings of his Administration and more to the point from the potentially illegal activities of his campaign staff and immediate family.

Join us to hear what the American intelligence community, through the eyes of a former intelligence officer, thinks of the Trump Administration and how Trumps actions (or inactions) are affecting the United States, our position in the world and the seemingly diminishing influence of the United States.

Jonna Mendez is a retired CIA intelligence officer with over 25 years of service. When she retired she had risen to the position of Chief of Disguise at the CIA. Usually former CIA intelligence officers live out their lives in obscurity having had a career that is defined by not being known. However, Jonna and her husband, Antonio “Tony” Mendez, also a retired CIA intelligence officer, rose to prominence when his story was made into the movie AGRO starring Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez. The movie recounted his heroic plan to rescue six American diplomats from Tehran, Iran who were in hiding in the Canadian Embassy at the beginning of the Iranian Hostage crisis.

Jonna has lectured with her author/husband Antonio Mendez to various World Affairs Councils, colleges and universities and at the US Defense Intelligence Agency at the Joint Military Intelligence College. Together they have participated in two Discovery Channel programs, the second featuring them exclusively. These programs document the espionage exploits of Jonna and her husband, who was also CIA’s Chief of Disguise.

Upon her retirement from the government, Jonna earned the CIA’s Intelligence Commendation Medal. Jonna continues to act as a consultant to the U.S. Intelligence community. She is on the Board of Advisors of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. Recently, Jonna spoke on January 9, 2018 with three New York Times investigative reporters in Washington, D.C. in a program called "Unpacking Russia," regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. On February 15, 2018 Jonna was at the Newseum with Jennifer Lawrence and the director of the new movie "Red Sparrow" to discuss the movie and how it relates to the life of a female spy.

Jonna Mendez will be the keynote speaker at the Washington County (Md.) Annual Democratic Dinner on Tuesday, May 29, 2018. Her talk will give an opinion the Trump Administration from the unique perspective of an American intelligence officer.