IT'S ALL ABOUT RUSSIA
Trump Already Getting Slammed Over Pick to Replace Venerated Intel Chief – Who Trump Just Ousted

If there’s any way to get the Intelligence Community to stop investigating Russia’s attacks on the U.S. elections system, installing a Trump loyalist with almost no experience is likely one of the easiest.
President Donald Trump has wanted to fire his esteemed Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Dan Coats, since at least February. Reports Sunday afternoon say Coats will “step down” – possibly meaning he is being told to leave – and his replacement has already been chosen.
UPDATE: Deed is done. Coats has been ousted.
….be leaving office on August 15th. I would like to thank Dan for his great service to our Country. The Acting Director will be named shortly.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019
Experts and others knowledgable with intelligence operations are having a field day – or are just plain furious – with Trump’s reported choice to replace the venerated Director of National Intelligence.
The DNI is a Cabinet-level official who sits at the very top of the entire Intelligence Community, serving as the head of the 17 federal agencies that comprise it. They also serve as the President’s chief advisor on national security, and produce the top-secret President’s Daily Brief (PDB).
Federal law states quite clearly, “Any individual nominated for appointment as Director of National Intelligence shall have extensive national security expertise.”
President Trump’s current Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, is a former Congressman and a former Senator who served on the Senate Intelligence Committee. He also served as the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and was rumored to have been on President George W. Bush’s short list to become Secretary of Defense. He also served as a Staff sergeant in the U.S. Army.
President Barack Obama’s Director of National Intelligence for most of his eight years in the Oval Office was James Clapper. Before becoming DNI Clapper served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He also served during Vietnam as a Lieutenant general in the Air Force.
President Donald Trump’s pick to become Director of National Intelligence auditioned for the job during this past week’s congressional hearings featuring the testimony of former special counsel Robert Mueller.
Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas, ranked the second-most conservative lawmaker in Congress, is only a three-term legislator. He was the U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Texas from 2007 to 2008, and an Acting U.S. Attorney focused on prosecuting terrorism and immigration cases. Apparently, before and during part of that time he was also the mayor of a small Texas town, population 6,921.
If there’s one way to get the nation’s Intelligence Community to stop investigating Russia’s five-plus years of attacks on the U.S. elections system, installing a Trump loyalist with almost no experience is likely one of the easiest ways.
That President Trump thinks Rep. Ratcliffe has “extensive national security expertise” is already making both a laughing stock on social media – while others fear for the nation’s security and safety:
Running a town of 8000 people and admonishing Robert Mueller at a Congressional hearing would seem strong credentials to become Director of National Intelligence, right? 🙄 https://t.co/eubyzQm4oE
— Steven Pifer (@steven_pifer) July 28, 2019
“Trump is expected to nominate Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to replace Dan Coats as director of national intelligence” (@jonathanvswan)
Unlike Coats, Ratcliffe has been running a disinformation campaign for Trump-Barr.
This 06/12 House Intel hearing👇https://t.co/oa0dTeMZyA
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) July 28, 2019
John Ratcliffe, by one measure the second most conservative member of Congress, appears to believe that the Russia investigation was cooked up by Democrats who “committed crimes.” Now Trump reportedly is considering placing atop the US intelligence community.
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) July 28, 2019
Just a few days ago, Ratcliffe argued that Trump is above the law. https://t.co/UPAGN8eFD6 https://t.co/7lnzBWy2IS
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) July 28, 2019
To be clear, Trump is pushing out Dan Coates as DNI because he was actually dealing with Russian interference in our elections and is putting in Rep. Ratcliffe in because he will help Trump continue to cover the Russian involvement up to help his odds in 2020.
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) July 28, 2019
Ratcliffe’s disingenuous attack on Mueller wasn’t just an exercise in disinformation; it was an audition for DNI. Unsurprisingly, he passed.
If confirmed, he’ll have tremendous capabilities to continue protecting and defending Trump over the Constitution. https://t.co/LofFBUIHXC
— Ned Price (@nedprice) July 28, 2019
🚨 UPDATE —> looks like Rep Ratcliffe’s rantings at the #MuellerHearing were his interview for Trump’s Director of National intelligence.
Note how wrong Ratcliffe was about the role of a prosecutor and urge your Senator to OPPOSE his nomination! https://t.co/StLC7fHNFM https://t.co/emhslwK3yV
— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) July 28, 2019
Ratcliffe was law partners with John Ashcroft, FARA agent for Qatar and Malaysia. This seems complicated. https://t.co/lv2PY3snzH
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) July 28, 2019
Image via Wikimedia

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