President Donald Trump continues to fumble basic tenets of American national security. Now, he has abruptly announced the withdrawal of his previously announced nominee for the position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI). That previous nominee — Republican Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe — had been set to take over following the imminent departure of current DNI Dan Coats in about a couple weeks. In familiar Trump-ian fashion, the president complained about the “lamestream media” hurling derision at the hyperpartisan Ratcliffe as supposedly responsible for the nomination withdrawal.
How are we supposed to take someone remotely seriously who as president of the United States and leader of its national security system, gets on Twitter to whine about the “lamestream media”? Are you kidding? He railed:
‘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.’
Someone cue the tiny violins and choirs of crying people — the guy who defined a rise to national prominence on claiming that marginalized communities are dangerous is upset about how “miserable” it is to deal with “these people” who have a problem with that.
Ratcliffe, for his part, is known for his ardent defense of the president’s positions in relation to the Russia investigation. The hyperpartisan — who if confirmed would have been leading an intelligence system you’d hope was anything but — participated in GOP “investigations” of the investigators behind the supposedly but not really corrupt, conspiratorial Russia investigation and ripped into that probe’s leader Robert Mueller during a recent Congressional hearing.
The Congressman himself melodramatically added:
‘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.’
Check out Twitter’s response…
