GOP senators give tepid response to John Ratcliffe, Trump's pick for spy chief
President Donald Trump's choice of Rep. John Ratcliffe to replace respected former Sen. Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence in one of the most powerful and sensitive jobs in government, has gotten a tepid response to this point from Republican senators, signaling the Texas Republican, a Trump loyalist who lacks intelligence experience, could face a fight to be confirmed.
Of the handful of GOP senators who put out public statements about the change, they all praised the professionalism and integrity of the departing Coats, but not one has mentioned -- much less embraced --Ratcliffe.
This includes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and two GOP members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Roy Blunt of Missouri and Susan Collins of Maine.
"I was reassured knowing that a man who took such a deliberate, thoughtful, and unbiased approach was at the helm of our intelligence community," McConnell said in a statement issued late Sunday.
"Dan Coats and I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee together. His questions were always tough and he demanded the best from the agencies that reported to us. He had the same standards as Director of National Intelligence. He handled a hard job well," Blunt said in a statement Monday.
"Dan Coats is one of the finest public servants I have ever known," Collins said in a statement Sunday. "He led the intelligence community with integrity and skill, and his departure is a huge loss to our country."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gop-senators-give-tepid-response-to-john-ratcliffe-trumps-pick-for-spy-chief/ar-AAF1srM?li=BBnb7Kz
They'll come around. They always do.
