by Shelly Tapscott
Republican Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe will replace Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) after months of issues between President Donald Trump and the intelligence community.
Trump announced Sunday that Ratcliffe would replace Coats, whose last day in office will be August 15, according to Trump’s tweet. Trump and Coats have publicly butted heads during the latter’s two-year tenure as DNI.
The president has been toying with the idea of getting rid of Coats for months, sources familiar with the situation previously told the Daily Caller.
“A former U.S. Attorney, John will lead and inspire greatness for the Country he loves,” Trump tweeted Sunday.
I am pleased to announce that highly respected Congressman John Ratcliffe of Texas will be nominated by me to be the Director of National Intelligence. A former U.S. Attorney, John will lead and inspire greatness for the Country he loves. Dan Coats, the current Director, will….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019
Axios first reported the news on July 12 that Trump was hoping to replace Coats, who responded with a statement hitting back at the “unsubstantiated, often false rumors,” adding “I am proud to lead an IC singularly focused on the vital mission of providing timely and unbiased intelligence to President Trump, Vice President Pence and the national security team in support of our nation’s security.”
Coats became DNI in March 2017 and has been known to occasionally contradict Trump’s foreign policy ideas, Fox News reported. The former Indiana Republican Sen. created a new senior-level job earlier in July to help with election security efforts, CBS News reported. The new position will coordinate “all election security activities, initiatives, and programs.”
Coats’s acting replacement will be named shortly, Trump tweeted Sunday.
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Shelly Tapscott is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
