Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence scandal goes off the rails
President Donald Trump continues to appoint acting heads of various agencies, the latest being the Director of National Intelligence. He had someone that by law should have assumed the role upon the retirement or quitting of Dan Coats. That is how the process works, but this president disregards that protocol.
In early August, when Coats announced he was leaving, former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tweeted: “Deputy DNI Sue Gordon is a proven patriot who understands foreign threats, respects the nonpartisan truth, and protects America 24/7. Daughter of a Navy Vice Admiral, mother of 2 Marine captains. Gordon is a great @realDonaldTrump appointee! @SenatorBurr @LindseyGrahamSC.”
Gordon met with Trump on Thursday. Not that she had any chance at the job, but Trump ended up tweeting this: “I am pleased to inform you that the Honorable Joseph Maguire, current Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, will be named Acting Director of National Intelligence, effective August 15th. Admiral Maguire has a long and distinguished career in the military, retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2010. He commanded at every level, including the Naval Special Warfare Command. He has also served as a National Security Fellow at Harvard University. I have no doubt he will do a great job!”
Maguire is a well respected individual. But Gordon was someone who has been a career person and who Trump likely did not like for obvious reasons, including doing what is best for country, not Trump. Trump tweets show he does not have a clue about her and dismissed her by referring to a coincidence which is like saying someone pushed off a bridge coincidentally fell to their demise. This is not how succession is supposed to take place, but once again we have a president more interested in protecting his misdeeds and calculated corruption than following the process and having folks not beholden to him running things.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.