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  • President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Rep. John Ratcliffe will be replacing Dan Coats as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence.
  • The New York Times reported earlier that Coats was expected to step down after a term spent at odds with Trump over issues that include Russian affairs and meddling in US elections, along with the Mueller investigation and Trump’s own personal attacks on members of the US intelligence community.
  • Ratcliffe, a Texas representative who is a vocal supporter of Trump, was the long-expected replacement pick, particularly after his stern condemnation of special counsel Robert Mueller during last week’s hearing on his investigation into the Trump campaign’s connection to the Russian government.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Rep. John Ratcliffe will be replacing Dan Coats as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence.

Trump confirmed on Twitter that Ratcliffe, a Texas representative who is a vocal supporter of Trump, would be replacing Coats, who will be leaving office on August 15th.

“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,” Trump wrote. “A former US Attorney, John will lead and inspire greatness for the Country he loves. Dan Coats, the current Director, will be leaving office on August 15th.”

Trump added: “I would like to thank Dan for his great service to our Country. The Acting Director will be named shortly.

Ratcliffe was the long-expected replacement pick, particularly after his stern condemnation of special counsel Robert Mueller during last week’s hearing on his investigation into the Trump campaign’s connection to the Russian government.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Coats was expected to step down in the coming days.

Axios first reported that Ratcliffe was a strong contender after his stern condemnation of special counsel Robert Mueller during last week’s hearing on his investigation into the Trump campaign’s connection to the Russian government.

Sources told the Times that Coats spent his time as director at odds with Trump over issues that include Russian affairs and meddling in US elections, along with the Mueller investigation and Trump’s own personal attacks on members of the US intelligence community.

Coats has been critical of Trump’s close interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the past, which has been reported to be a major factor leading to Trump discussing replacing Coats. The Times also specified that a 2018 meeting between Trump and Putin after Coats’ intelligence community’s conclusions suggested that the Russian government interfered in the US 2016 presidential election displeased the director.

These issues and more impacted both Coats’ relationship with Trump and his decision to step down, the Times reported.

Previously, Politico reported that Trump was considering replacing Coats with former CIA analyst and leader of far-right think tank Center for Security Policy Fred Fleitz.

As reported by Business Insider