▁a ▁new ▁center : ▁the ▁National ▁Security ▁Council ▁staff . ▁ ▁St ans field ▁Turner ▁( D CI ▁ 1 9 7 7 – 1 9 8 1 ) ▁describes ▁N ixon ▁as ▁basically ▁being ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁C IA , ▁question ing ▁its ▁utility ▁and ▁practical ▁value , ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁low ▁evaluation ▁of ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁its ▁information . ▁Turner , ▁who ▁served ▁under ▁President ▁Carter , ▁op ines ▁that ▁N ixon ▁considered ▁the ▁C IA ▁to ▁be ▁full ▁of ▁el ite ▁" li ber als " ▁and ▁hence ▁contrary ▁to ▁his ▁policy ▁direction . ▁Hel ms ▁agreed ▁regarding ▁N ixon ' s ▁host ility ▁toward ▁the ▁C IA , ▁also ▁saying ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁interview ▁that ▁" N ixon ▁never ▁trust ed ▁anybody ." ▁Yet ▁Hel ms ▁later ▁wrote : ▁ ▁Wh atever ▁N ixon ' s ▁views ▁of ▁the ▁Agency , ▁it ▁was ▁my ▁opinion ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁best ▁prepared ▁to ▁be ▁President ▁of ▁any ▁of ▁those ▁under ▁whom ▁I ▁served - E isen h ower , ▁Kennedy , ▁and ▁Johnson . ▁... ▁N ixon ▁had ▁the ▁best ▁grasp ▁of ▁foreign ▁affairs ▁and ▁domestic ▁politics . ▁His ▁years ▁as ▁Vice ▁President ▁had ▁served ▁him ▁well . ▁ ▁When ▁N ixon ▁attended ▁NS C ▁meet ings , ▁he ▁would ▁often ▁direct ▁his ▁personal ▁anim os ity ▁and ▁i re ▁directly ▁at ▁Hel ms , ▁who ▁led ▁an ▁ag ency ▁N ixon ▁considered ▁over r ated , ▁whose ▁prof fer ed ▁intelligence ▁N ixon ▁thought