President-elect Donald Trump Saturday named former Senator Dan Coats (R-IN) as his choice to be Director of National Intelligence.
Coats recently retired from Congress, where he served as the third-ranking Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“I’m very confident that Senator Dan Coats is the right choice to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” said President-elect Trump. “Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community. If confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, he will provide unwavering leadership that the entire intelligence community can respect, and will spearhead my administration’s ceaseless vigilance against those who seek to do us harm.”
“It is an honor to be nominated as Director of National Intelligence,” Coats said. “A robust and responsible intelligence infrastructure is essential to our homeland security, and if confirmed I will ensure our national security decision-makers have every piece of information they need to protect the American people from the threats facing our nation. There is no higher priority than keeping America safe, and I will utilize every tool at my disposal to make that happen.”
Reuters reported last week that there is disagreement on the Trump team about whether to reorganize or cut back the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), a position said to be favored by Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn.
The ODNI was created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to improve coordination among the 16 intelligence agencies and departments that make up the Intelligence Community (IC) after accusations the IC failed to share information that might have prevented the attacks.
Former Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Senator Saxby Chambliss told the Cipher Brief on Friday that he was skeptical of the creation of the ODNI and its insertion of a new layer between the CIA and the President. Now that it has existed for a “significant period of time,” Chambliss said it is time to review its performance.
While he was not sure whether the office should be eliminated, Chambliss said a review would be “appropriate,” and that he hoped Coats decides to do so if he is confirmed.
Chambliss also praised Trump’s selection of Coats. “Having served with him on the Intelligence Committee for four years and having traveled overseas with him to visit allies and employees in the world of intelligence,” Chambliss said, “I know and appreciate his commitment to the men and women who serve so professionally in every agency of the Intelligence Community.”
“Dan has the experience and know how to lead the ODNI in this very dangerous time in the history of our country, and I know his leadership, just like that of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Jim Clapper, will make America a safer place to live,” he said.
Coats began his Congressional career in the House of Representatives, serving from 1981 to 1989, until he was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat vacated by Dan Quayle after he was elected Vice President. Coats retired from the Senate in 1999, served as U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 2001 to 2005, and returned to the Senate in 2011 after winning the seat vacated by Evan Bayh.
Steve Hirsch is senior national security editor at The Cipher Brief.
