From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 21, 2020
US Senate approves Trump political ally as intelligence czar
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe US Senate confirms John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence, placing a close political ally of President Donald Trump in charge of a massive US spy community that Trump brands a troublesome “deep state.”
The Senate vote 49-44 on sharply partisan lines to approve Ratcliffe, a Republican congressman from Texas, 10 months after he first withdrew from consideration for the job amid broad doubts about his qualifications.
He will lead the country’s 17 federal intelligence bodies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency, and be responsible for coordinating them with the White House.
In July, Trump forced out Dan Coats as director of national intelligence after longstanding tensions between the two, and then struggled to find a suitable replacement.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.