US President Donald Trump has said his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running.

US President Donald Trump has said his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running.

Mr Trump tweeted that Republican representative John Ratcliffe of Texas had decided to stay in Congress.

Questions about Mr Ratcliffe’s experience have dogged him since Mr Trump announced his candidacy five days ago.

Mr Trump did not cite any specific media reports, but tweeted that “rather than going through months of slander and libel”, he would be returning to Capitol Hill.

Mr Trump accepted the resignation of former director of national intelligence Dan Coats last week.

Mr Ratcliffe is a frequent defender of Mr Trump who fiercely questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week.

Intelligence experts had criticised his lack of experience in the field of intelligence.

Mr Ratcliffe said: “While I am and will remain very grateful to the president for his intention to nominate me as director of national intelligence, I am withdrawing from consideration.

“I was humbled and honoured that the president put his trust in me to lead our nation’s intelligence operations and remain convinced that when confirmed, I would have done so with the objectivity, fairness and integrity that our intelligence agencies need and deserve.

“However, I do not wish for a national security and intelligence debate surrounding my confirmation, however untrue, to become a purely political and partisan issue.” </s> WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — President Donald Trump says his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running, citing unfair media coverage.

In a tweet Friday, Trump said Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas had decided to stay in Congress. Questions about Ratcliffe’s experience have dogged him since Trump announced his candidacy five days ago.

Trump didn’t cite any specific media reports, but tweeted that “rather than going through months of slander and libel,” he would be returning to Capitol Hill.

Ratcliffe is a frequent Trump defender who fiercely questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week. Intelligence experts had criticized his lack of experience in the field of intelligence.

He released the following statement this afternoon:

“While I am and will remain very grateful to the President for his intention to nominate me as Director of National Intelligence, I am withdrawing from consideration. I was humbled and honored that the President put his trust in me to lead our nation’s intelligence operations and remain convinced that when confirmed, I would have done so with the objectivity, fairness and integrity that our intelligence agencies need and deserve. However, I do not wish for a national security and intelligence debate surrounding my confirmation, however untrue, to become a purely political and partisan issue. The country we all love deserves that it be treated as an American issue. Accordingly, I have asked the President to nominate someone other than me for this position.”

Since the withdrawal, Trump said he will announce his other nomination soon.

He accepted the resignation of former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats last week — He is scheduled to leave office Aug. 15. </s> President Donald Trump says his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running, citing unfair media coverage.

In a tweet Friday, Trump said Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas had decided to stay in Congress. Questions about Ratcliffe's experience have dogged him since Trump announced his candidacy five days ago.

Trump didn't cite any specific media reports, but tweeted that "rather than going through months of slander and libel," he would be returning to Capitol Hill.

Trump accepted the resignation of former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats last week.

Ratcliffe is a frequent Trump defender who fiercely questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week. Intelligence experts had criticized his lack of experience in the field of intelligence.

In a statement, Ratcliffe said, "While I am and will remain very grateful to the President for his intention to nominate me as Director of National Intelligence, I am withdrawing from consideration."

"I was humbled and honored that the President put his trust in me to lead our nation's intelligence operations and remain convinced that when confirmed, I would have done so with the objectivity, fairness and integrity that our intelligence agencies need and deserve," the statement said.

"However," he added, "I do not wish for a national security and intelligence debate surrounding my confirmation, however untrue, to become a purely political and partisan issue." </s> FILE – In this Wednesday, July 24, 2019, file photo, Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas., questions former special counsel Robert Mueller as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on his report on Russian election interference, on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump says John Ratcliffe, his pick for national intelligence director, to stay in Congress, cites unfair media coverage. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running, citing unfair media coverage.

In a tweet Friday, Trump said Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas had decided to stay in Congress. Questions about Ratcliffe’s experience have dogged him since Trump announced his candidacy five days ago.

Trump didn’t cite any specific media reports, but tweeted that “rather than going through months of slander and libel,” he would be returning to Capitol Hill.

Trump accepted the resignation of former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats last week.

Ratcliffe is a frequent Trump defender who fiercely questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week. Intelligence experts had criticized his lack of experience in the field of intelligence.

In a statement, Ratcliffe said, “While I am and will remain very grateful to the President for his intention to nominate me as Director of National Intelligence, I am withdrawing from consideration.”

“I was humbled and honored that the President put his trust in me to lead our nation’s intelligence operations and remain convinced that when confirmed, I would have done so with the objectivity, fairness and integrity that our intelligence agencies need and deserve,” the statement said.

“However,” he added, “I do not wish for a national security and intelligence debate surrounding my confirmation, however untrue, to become a purely political and partisan issue.” </s> Ms. Gordon, who has served more than 30 years in intelligence posts at the C.I.A. and other agencies, has not been officially informed by the White House that Mr. Trump intends to name someone else to oversee the intelligence agency until the Senate confirms a new director of national intelligence, officials said.

But the White House requested this week that the office provide a list of senior officials who worked for the agency, according to a senior administration official — a move that was interpreted as another sign that it is looking beyond her for people who could be temporarily installed in the top position.

When Mr. Trump posted tweets Sunday announcing that Mr. Coats would step down on Aug. 15 and that he intended to nominate Mr. Ratcliffe, the president hinted that Ms. Gordon might not automatically become the acting director in the interim, saying an acting director would be named soon.

Those tweets prompted concern on Capitol Hill that Mr. Trump would circumvent Ms. Gordon. The next day, Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina, who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressly referred to the fact that he looked forward to working with Ms. Gordon, calling her “a trusted partner.”

On Friday, Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia, who is the committee’s vice chairman, said that the law was “quite clear” that the acting role goes to the deputy when the director of national intelligence leaves and that Ms. Gordon had the Senate’s confidence. “It’s outrageous if the president is hoping to pass over this extremely qualified and experienced individual, the highest-ranking woman in O.D.N.I., in order to install a political loyalist as acting director,” he said.

Ms. Gordon’s experience is not necessarily a point in her favor for the White House, where Mr. Trump and his allies view the permanent bureaucracy of national security professionals with suspicion as a so-called deep state that may be out to get him.

Mr. Trump and House Republicans have made clear that they believe a broad reorganization of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is needed. Administration officials and House Republicans also have said they would like someone at the agency who will work well with Attorney General William P. Barr, who has ordered a review of the intelligence agencies’ support for the F.B.I. as the bureau sought to understand Moscow’s covert efforts to tilt the 2016 election, including any links to the Trump campaign. </s> President Donald Trump says his pick for national intelligence director has decided to withdraw from the running, citing unfair media coverage.

In a tweet Friday, Trump said Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe of Texas had decided to stay in Congress. Questions about Ratcliffe's experience have dogged him since Trump announced his candidacy five days ago.

Trump didn't cite any specific media reports, but tweeted that "rather than going through months of slander and libel," he would be returning to Capitol Hill.

Trump accepted the resignation of former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats last week.

Ratcliffe is a frequent Trump defender who fiercely questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week. Intelligence experts had criticized his lack of experience in the field of intelligence. </s> US President Donald Trump said on Friday he might name Sue Gordon as acting director of national intelligence after his first choice to lead the agency, congressman John Ratcliffe, decided to drop out.

 

 Speaking to reporters, Trump said he likes Gordon, who is currently the agency’s No. 2 official. Trump also said he is considering a list of three people to lead the agency on a permanent basis and may make an announcement about his choice on Monday. </s> Image copyright EPA Image caption Mr Coats has not always seen eye-to-eye with Mr Trump

US President-elect Donald Trump has named Dan Coats as his national intelligence director.

The Indiana ex-senator formerly served on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Mr Trump said Mr Coats would "provide unwavering leadership... and spearhead my administration's ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm".

The appointment comes a day after an intelligence report accused Russia's president of ordering a campaign aimed at helping Mr Trump to victory.

Mr Trump said in a statement that Mr Coats had "clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community".

A statement from Mr Coats said: "There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilise every tool at my disposal to make that happen."

Mr Coats has been a vocal critic of Russia over its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

He will need the Senate to confirm his appointment, replacing James Clapper.

What does the national intelligence director do?

The position of director of national intelligence was created after the 11 September terrorist attacks to improve the US intelligence gathering agencies.

The director is the president's principal adviser on matters on national intelligence, overseeing the National Intelligence Programme, which covers all projects related to the intelligence community.

The post also oversees the US Intelligence Community, the grouping that combines the independent work of 16 agencies, including the CIA.

Who is Dan Coats?

Dan Coats entered Congress in 1981, representing Indiana in the House. He took Dan Quayle's place in the Senate in 1989 when Mr Quayle became President George HW Bush's vice-president.

Mr Coats had earlier served in the US Army in the 1960s and left the Senate in 1998, becoming US ambassador to Germany in the early 2000s.

After that he became a lobbyist for pharmaceutical, defence and energy companies, returning to the Senate in 2010. He did not seek re-election in 2016.

During his time in the Senate he sat on the intelligence committee.

What's his relationship with Mr Trump?

Has not always been easy.

In early 2016 he said: "I am increasingly concerned by Donald Trump's statements and behaviour, and I have serious concerns about his ability to win the general election and provide presidential leadership."

He was also damning about Mr Trump's lewd comments on women from 2005 that were leaked to the press during the election campaign.

On 8 October, he wrote on Twitter that "Donald Trump's vulgar comments are totally inappropriate and disgusting, and these words have no place in our society".

And back in December 2015, when Mr Trump announced his plans to prevent Muslims immigrating to the US, Mr Coats wrote: "Once again, Donald Trump has chosen bombastic rhetoric over sound judgement."

Generally, however, he supported his party's nominee once chosen, publicly criticising former candidate Ted Cruz for refusing to endorse Mr Trump.

What about Russia?

Image copyright AP Image caption Russia's annexation of Crimea drew fierce criticism from Mr Coats

Mr Coats pressed President Barack Obama to punish Russia harshly for its annexation of Crimea.

As a result, Mr Coats was among several lawmakers banned from travelling to Russia.

The matter is key given the new intelligence report that says the Kremlin developed a "clear preference" for Mr Trump during the election.

It said Russia's goals were to "undermine public faith" in the US democratic process and "denigrate" his Democrat opponent Hillary Clinton.

After being briefed on the findings, Mr Trump stopped short of accusing Russia of interfering, saying only that the election outcome was not affected.

So why choose Mr Coats?

The answer may lie not with Mr Trump, but his running mate, vice-president-elect Mike Pence.

Mr Pence was the governor of Indiana - Mr Coats's state.

The two men know each other well - so well that Mr Coats was the senator who seconded Mr Pence's nomination for the Republican vice-presidential candidacy. </s> Indiana Senator Dan Coats speaks briefly with the press following his meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, New York, USA, 30 November 2016 AALBIN LOHR-JONES / POOL / EPA

“I’m very confident that Senator Dan Coats is the right choice to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” President-elect Trump said in a statement. “Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community.”

As director of national intelligence, Coats would serve as the head of the United States’ intelligence community and be the president’s principal adviser on the issue.

Coats will succeed James Clapper, who recently testified in front of Congress that Russia had stepped up its cyber espionage operation in an attempt to undermine the election. A redacted report about the hack and its goals was released on Friday.

First elected to the Senate in 1990 in a special election that filled the seat vacated by Dan Quayle — who departed the Senate to serve as George H. W. Bush’s vice president — Coats won reelection in 1992 before retiring from the Senate in 1998. He then was nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Germany in 2001, arriving there mere days before the Sept. 11 terrorism attack.

After departing as ambassador four years later, Coats worked as a prominent lobbyist in Washington D.C. and then decided to run for his former Senate seat in 2010 — an election he won.

Coats again announced his retirement from government in November 2015.

Most recently while in the Senate, Coats served as the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee and as a member of the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

“If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administration’s ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm,” Trump added in his statement.

In the past year as a senator, Coats has introduced six bills. Only two simple resolutions passed: The first recognized the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and the other commemorated the bicentennial of the state of Indiana.

Coats will lead an intelligence community that already has a rocky relationship with the president-elect,

as Trump has continued to float doubts about the community’s findings in the Russia hacking investigation.

While testifying before the Armed Services Committee, Clapper stopped short of calling Russia’s interference in the election an act of war, saying that was something for lawmakers to discern.

However, the committee’s chairman, John McCain (R-AZ), maintained that the attack was alarming.

“Every American should be alarmed by Russia’s attacks on our nation. There is no national security interest more vital to the United States of America than the ability to hold free and fair elections without foreign interference,” McCain said in his opening statement during the hearing. “That is why Congress must set partisanship aside, follow the facts, and work together to devise comprehensive solutions to deter, defend against, and, when necessary, respond to foreign cyberattacks.”

On Twitter, Donald Trump seemed more concerned with the intelligence community’s findings that pertained to the legitimacy of his election rather than Russia’s involvement.

The president-elect has maintained a belief that the United States should “move on” from the attack, adding on Saturday that the country will have a good relationship and will work together with Russia under his administration.
President Trump announces he will not nominate Representative John Ratcliffe to replace Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence when he resigns on August 15, and plans to block Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon from serving as acting director.