WASHINGTON, Feb 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – US President Donald Trump announced
Republican lawmaker John Ratcliffe as his intelligence chief Friday, sparking
fresh controversy over a crucial position that has lacked a permanent office
holder for months.
The 53-year-old Trump loyalist was nominated as director of national
intelligence after Dan Coats stepped down in July last year, but withdrew
from consideration after strong criticism of his credentials from Democrats
and a tepid response from key Republicans.
Trump instead named counterterrorism expert Joseph McGuire as acting
director, overseeing the 17 agencies of the intelligence community including
the CIA and National Security Agency.
But he forced McGuire out on February 20 after a senior intelligence
official told Congress in a closed briefing that the Russians were again
supporting Trump’s bid for reelection.
The revolving door continued to spin as Trump appointed another loyalist,
Richard Grenell, two weeks ago. But the former ambassador to Germany had no
relevant experience and was viewed as highly political.
Some intelligence experts view the latest nomination as a tactic by Trump
to insure that Grenell stays on beyond the statutory limit for “acting”
directors who haven’t been approved by the Senate.
“The formal submission of his nomination will allow @RichardGrenell to
continue to serve as Acting DNI past March 11 – and for another 210 days
after Ratcliffe’s rejection or withdrawal,” said University of Texas
lsecurity law professor Steve Vladeck.
– Outspoken defender –
Ratcliffe has been an outspoken Trump defender, frequently appearing on Fox
News to spread conspiracy theories and deny the intelligence community’s
conclusion that Russia tried to boost the president’s election effort in
2016.
Trump said Friday he had held back Ratcliffe’s formal nomination while an
unspecified “inspector general report” was being prepared.
“John is an outstanding man of great talent!” he tweeted.
Trump has been determined to place someone politically close to him as
chief of the intelligence community, which he views as hostile and full of
leakers.
He saw Coats, who was DNI for three years, as a political antagonist who
protected the so-called “deep state” that Trump regards as a barrier to his
agenda.
He was especially upset when a CIA analyst filed a whistleblower complaint
in August on his Ukraine dealings that led to his being impeached for abuse
of power.
The Ratcliffe nomination could spark a battle in Congress, amid reports
that Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which must approve the
nomination, expressed strong doubts about him in August.
Republican Senator Richard Burr, chairman of the intelligence committee,
made no comment Friday on his view of Ratcliffe’s qualifications.
“I look forward to receiving Congressman Ratcliffe’s official nomination
and ushering it through the Senate’s regular order,” he said in a statement.
The top Democrat on the committee, Senator John Warner, suggested Friday that
Ratcliffe would face high hurdles.
“The last time this nomination was unsuccessfully put forward, serious
bipartisan questions were raised about Rep. Ratcliffe’s background and
qualifications,” he said.
“It’s hard for me to see how anything new has happened to change that.”