A recently declassified three-page CIA document concerning alleged Chinese efforts to influence the 2020 U.S.presidential election has come under criticism from several former intelligence officials, who argue that it lacks the characteristics of a standard intelligence assessment.

President Donald Trump referenced the document during a nationally televised speech, asserting that it supports claims that China sought to influence the election against him and that intelligence officials concealed relevant information.He used the document to renew calls for Department of Justice investigations into what he described as a cover-up.

However, six former CIA and intelligence professionals questioned the document's credibility, noting that it does not include typical analytical features such as identified authorship, sourcing notes, competing assessments, or clear institutional conclusions.They said the document appears to present raw intelligence with an unusually high level of confidence despite lacking corroboration.

Former CIA analyst Julia Curlee described the memo as seemingly crafted to support the president's political narrative, while other former officials characterized it as unusual and inconsistent with established CIA reporting standards.

The organization The Steady State, made up of former national security officials, has requested congressional and inspector general investigations into the document's origin, preparation, and release process.Its executive director argued that selectively releasing uncontextualized intelligence could damage public confidence in the intelligence community.

The CIA has declined to provide additional details about the document's authorship or timing, citing classification restrictions, but stated that career intelligence officials participated in its declassification as part of a broader transparency initiative.The White House did not respond to requests for comment.