Director of National Intelligence (DNI)

Representative John Ratcliffe testified before the Senate Select Intelligence Committee as a part of his nomination for the position of Director of National Intelligence. Ratcliffe was asked about his views on Russian interference, about the threat posed by North Korea, about how he would handle a variety of issues posed by the coronavirus pandemic and much more. The hearing was fairly substantive but did include some meanderings and grandstanding.

President Trump is stretching the limits of his statutory ability to appoint acting officials to Senate-confirmed roles. What can Congress do?

Joshua Rovner’s insightful response to my post on politicization by a loyalist director of national intelligence (DNI) focuses on the issue of public dissent. Rovner and I share many concerns about who President Trump may seek to install as DNI.

The earthquake took place yesterday, but today’s aftershocks continued to rock the Trump presidency.

First, the House Intelligence Committee released the whistleblower complaint. Then, amid presidential attacks on the whistleblower, the committee heard testimony from Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, with Democrats battering him for his having withheld the complaint until yesterday.