Recently, President Donald Trump again put the national intelligence services in turmoil with the abrupt dismissal of acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, who he replaced with Richard Grenell, who has very little relevant intelligence community experience but is a Trump loyalist. Trump revealed that he was considering appointing Georgia Congressman Doug Collins (R) to the position in a more permanent capacity, but in a Friday appearance on Fox Business, Collins — who often passionately defends Trump — said he wouldn’t take the job. Sorry Trump! He’ll apparently have to look somewhere else for a shill he can use.
Collins commented:
‘It’s not a job that would interest me, not one that I would accept. I’m running a Senate race in Georgia… It is humbling. It’s amazing to have the president think that much of you, to mention my name among others to be this position.’
Now, Trump says:
‘Four great candidates are under consideration at DNI. Decision within next few weeks!’
Four great candidates are under consideration at DNI. Decision within next few weeks!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2020
For awhile now, Trump has been utilizing the power to appoint someone in an “acting” capacity to get someone in the role without Senate approval.
Reportedly, Maguire got kicked out after Trump became enraged that a deputy had briefed lawmakers on the House Intelligence Community, including Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), about Russian efforts to support Trump’s re-election. Trump has seemingly remained convinced that Schiff is conniving, demented, and whatever else, and he adamantly refuses to acknowledge the basic documented reality of Russia’s already ongoing efforts to support him throughout however long that his tenure ends up being.
Just this Friday, he belligerently tweeted:
‘Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!’
Another misinformation campaign is being launched by Democrats in Congress saying that Russia prefers me to any of the Do Nothing Democrat candidates who still have been unable to, after two weeks, count their votes in Iowa. Hoax number 7!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2020
This is brazenly false. There’s no evidence that there’s any kind of conspiracy surrounding the story that Russia is meddling in U.S. elections on behalf of Trump. All this time, and he — the president of the United States — is still trumpeting his complete dismissal of the duly documented conclusions to that effect from the U.S. intelligence agencies.
For his part, Collins backed up the president’s apparent retaliation against a government official over someone daring to engage the House Intelligence Committee in matters related to, you know, intelligence.
The Congressman shared:
‘Let me tell you right now, I know the problems in the Intelligence Committee.’
Oh? And what are those, Congressman? Are these “problems” that Democrats are now in control and thus, Republicans can’t use the committee apparatus to pursue their vindictive investigations into officials who’ve dared to look into ample evidence documenting Russian interference efforts? Are these so-called “problems” that Democrats on the committee dared to take the situation seriously when Trump was revealed to have been trying to bribe Ukraine into investigating his domestic political opponents?
Schiff and the committee helped lead the impeachment proceedings launched in response to that bribery scandal, and Schiff himself served as a case manager for the Senate impeachment trial.
