US House Of Representatives(WASHINGTON) — In a surprise move, President Donald Trump on Friday announced that his pick to be the next Director of National Intelligence, GOP Rep. John Ratcliffe, has been dropped from consideration in the face of news reports that he misrepresented his record as a prosecutor in terrorism-related cases.
In tweets, Trump said “our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media. Rather than going through months of slander and libel, I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people….
….John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country. I will be announcing my nomination for DNI shortly.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019
Despite the president’s tweets, it wasn’t clear whether Ratcliffe had withdrawn on his own or was pulled from consideration.
In a statement, Ratcliffe said he had withdrawn his name.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Ratcliffe said.
Trump did not not comment when reporters asked at an afternoon White House event whether Ratcliffe has withdrawn on his own.
The development comes just five days after the president announced his choice of Ratcliffe to replace Dan Coats, who steps down later this month. The president’s choice of Ratcliffe was facing stiff opposition from Democrats on Capitol Hill and had received only a lukewarm reception within the president’s own party.
Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee that was set to consider any Ratcliffe nomination, said he respects the congressman’s decision to withdraw, adding there’s “no substitute for having a Senate-confirmed director.”
“I respect John Ratcliffe’s decision to withdraw his name from consideration for Director of National Intelligence, and I appreciate him considering serving his nation in a new role,” Burr said in a statement.
“I am grateful that he will continue serving the people of Texas in the House. As the White House determines its next nominee, I‘m heartened by the fact that ODNI has an experienced and capable leadership team to help see it through this transition. However, there is no substitute for having a Senate-confirmed director in place to lead our Intelligence Community. I remain committed to moving the official nomination through regular order once it is submitted to the Senate,” Burr said.
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