John Ratcliffe and the bumpy journey to Director of National Intelligence

The “hot seat” of the intelligence community

Since former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats announced his resignation last summer over disagreements with US President Donald Trump, the position has seen a lot of turmoil, with figures coming and going like the wind, including Mr. John Ratcliffe who briefly held the position of acting Director of National Intelligence.

The position was then offered to Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire and former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, but in the end, neither could “stay”. No wonder US politicians have said that the Director of National Intelligence is the “hottest” seat in the intelligence community, and even the “hottest” seat in the administration since Mr. Trump took over the White House in January 2017.

Mr. John Ratcliffe was nominated for the position of Director of National Intelligence of the United States.Photo: NY Times

The confirmation of John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence can be seen as a reunion, because as soon as former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats resigned, he was President Donald Trump's first choice.

But at that time, Mr. Ratcliffe proactively withdrew when there were rumors that he “exaggerated his performance” related to a terrorism trial in 2008. Moreover, some lawmakers also expressed doubts about his experience in the intelligence field, because he is a lawyer, and most of his career was associated with the position of federal anti-terrorism prosecutor.

When he was first nominated by Donald Trump, many commented that John Ratcliffe's most outstanding quality was his loyalty to the President, demonstrated through his fierce defense of the President during Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the US election. Meanwhile, the "hot seat" of Director of National Intelligence is said to require more qualities than that, because this is a position that oversees 17 government intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Security Agency (NSA), coordinates intelligence gathering activities related to the US on a global scale, regularly reports and gives the President the best advice on threats to the US.

Because of such an important role, US senators are quite impatient and looking for ways to quickly stabilize the position of Director of National Intelligence. Normally, the Democratic faction in Congress often tries to delay the approval of President Donald Trump's personnel nominations. But the fact that Democratic senators agreed to proceed with the vote less than a month after the US Senate Intelligence Committee approved Donald Trump's nomination - even though the candidate is a "recent face" - shows that John Ratcliffe really has the qualities that make Democratic senators overcome partisan prejudices.

John Ratcliffe has the qualities that make Democratic congressmen overcome partisan prejudices. Photo: Reuters

Commitment to political independence

There is no reason for Republicans to oppose President Donald Trump’s nomination, but for Democrats, things are much more difficult. To be confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe will need to overcome the stereotype of being “too loyal” to the President, because the nature of this position requires a high level of political independence in the job. The need for political independence has been mentioned more often recently when there is speculation that President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to use secret intelligence information to handle political disagreements.

The incident involved Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell giving Attorney General William Barr a document about former Obama administration officials. In it, former Vice President Joe Biden is said to have received intelligence related to former national security adviser Michael Flynn. President Donald Trump accused the Obama administration of targeting Michael Flynn to “take him down,” calling it “Obamagate.”

Therefore, in a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in early May, Mr. John Ratcliffe pledged to maintain political independence in national intelligence agencies, and to inform Congress of any important developments that the US intelligence community collects. He also pledged that the information provided by the US intelligence community will be provided in the most truthful manner, without being changed or influenced by external factors.

Mr. John Ratcliffe is sworn in before the hearing on May 5. Photo: Reuters

However, Mr. John Ratcliffe did not easily convince the Democratic congressmen based on promises alone. During the hearing, Mr. Ratcliffe separated himself from the President by saying that he believed that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election - a suspicion that President Donald Trump has always denied.

Some colleagues who have worked with John Ratcliffe point to his time in the House of Representatives since 2014 as a testament to his integrity. They say that John Ratcliffe is truly a “special” person who has always tried to stay out of the inner circles of Congress – a common occurrence in America’s highly partisan politics. He is described as always focused on his own work, and has proven time and again that the person with the most weight is not necessarily the most effective.

During his time on the House Judiciary Committee, he also developed a reputation for not backing down from any political force and for being willing to investigate any government figure suspected of abusing power or violating the public trust. John Ratcliffe’s appointment to the House Intelligence Committee once again demonstrates the respect his colleagues have for him, as this is considered a place for the few most trusted people in Congress.

Managing the relationship with President Donald Trump is a big challenge for Mr. John Ratcliffe. Photo: Daily Beast

Although his nomination to the position of Director of National Intelligence comes with high expectations, many people also believe that this is probably the most challenging position for John Ratcliffe in his political career. John Ratcliffe has the ability to demonstrate integrity, impartiality, and political independence, but it is not easy to reconcile his personal relationship with President Donald Trump - who is known for being ready to fire anyone who displeases him.