US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would nominate a loyalist, Texas Representative John Ratcliffe, to replace Dan Coats as the US spy chief.
Mr Coats said he would step down as director of national intelligence on August 15 after clashing with the president over assessments involving Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Mr Trump announced his decision on Twitter. “John will lead and inspire greatness for the Country he loves," he wrote, thanking Mr Coats "for his great service to our Country" and saying an acting director will be named shortly.
The post of director of national intelligence was created after the 9/11 attacks on the US and oversees 17 civilian and military intelligence services.
Mr Ratcliffe, a Republican member of the House of Representatives intelligence and judiciary committees, has shown a strong appetite for partisan fights. He strongly defended Mr Trump during former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony on Wednesday about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible obstruction of justice.
Mr Ratcliffe, 53, accused Mr Mueller of violating “every principle and the most sacred traditions” of prosecutors by including in his report “potential crimes that were not charged.”
He joined Congress in 2015 and some Republican leaders pushed for him to be named US attorney general last year after Trump ousted Jeff Sessions from that role.
The congressman helped lead a congressional investigation into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers and former FBI director James Comey's decision not to recommend criminal charges against her.
Mr Coats, 76, was viewed as apolitical and enjoyed bipartisan support but repeatedly disagreed with Mr Trump on important national security claims since assuming his post in March 2017. He notably took a hard line toward Russia that sharply contrasted with the conciliatory approach Mr Trump pursued toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In January, Mr Coats told Congress that North Korea was unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons, contradicting a statement by Mr Trump that Pyongyang no longer posed a threat.
Mr Coats also told lawmakers that Iran had continued to comply with a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers that Mr Trump abandoned in May 2018.
The next day, Mr Trump complained on Twitter about "passive and naive" US intelligence leaders, suggesting they "go back to school!"
In July 2018, Mr Coats publicly admitted he did not know what happened during one-on-one talks in Helsinki between Mr Trump and Mr Putin that raised concern among many US politicians.
As the head of the US intelligence community, Mr Coats has been a rare Cabinet official willing to publicly disagree with Mr Trump. A recent example was in January, at a congressional hearing where Mr Coats and other intelligence chiefs contradicted the president’s statements that ISIS was defeated.
Mr Coats testified that “ISIS is intent on resurging and still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria”.
Mr Coats will join a long list of senior officials to leave the administration since Mr Trump took office in January 2017, either through resignation or firing. The list includes a defence secretary, attorney general, two national security advisers, a secretary of state, an FBI director, numerous top White House officials and assorted other Cabinet members.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticised Mr Trump’s choice.
“Rep Ratcliffe was selected because he exhibited blind loyalty to President Trump with his demagogic questioning of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller,” Mr Schumer said in a statement. “If Senate Republicans elevate such a partisan player to a position that requires intelligence expertise and non-partisanship, it would be a big mistake.”
But if Mr Ratcliffe's nomination is approved, Mr Trump will get an intelligence chief who shares more of his views.
In Congress, he has been a staunch defender of Mr Trump and has criticised two of the president's nemeses, former FBI chief Mr Comey and special counsel Mr Mueller.
Mr Ratcliffe has also said he has "seen no evidence" that Russian election meddling helped bring Mr Trump to office, has backed the president's assertion that court-approved surveillance of his campaign amounted to spying, and has supported his hawkish policy on Iran.
The choice of Mr Ratcliffe was welcomed by various Republicans – including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who tweeted that he "will bring strength and accountability in his new role."
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the intelligence community works best “when it is led by professionals who protect its work from political or analytical bias and who deliver unvarnished hard truths to political leaders in both the executive and legislative branches”.
In a statement, which did not mention Mr Ratcliffe, Mr McConnell praised Mr Coats and singled out his role in helping co-ordinate the response to Russia’s effort to interfere in US elections
The departure of Mr Coats had been rumoured for months, and intelligence officials had been expecting him to leave before the 2020 presidential campaign season reached its peak.
