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Trump Nominee to Lead US Intelligence Promises 'Unvarnished Truth'

Jeff Seldin

   WASHINGTON - More than eight months after he was first tapped to lead
   U.S. intelligence efforts, Congressman John Ratcliffe repeatedly
   pledged to skeptical lawmakers that he would abandon partisan politics
   and provide the president and top policymakers the "unvarnished truth,"
   no matter what they wanted to hear.

   "What anyone wants the intelligence to reflect won't impact the
   intelligence that I deliver," the Texas Republican told fellow
   lawmakers, should he be confirmed as director of national intelligence.
   "It won't be shaded for anyone."

   Ratcliffe's journey to Tuesday's confirmation hearing before the Senate
   Intelligence Committee, in a mostly empty chamber due to concerns about
   the coronavirus pandemic, has been an unusual one.

   An ardent supporter of President Donald Trump, [1]Ratcliffe initially
   was forced to withdraw his name from consideration last August after
   Republican and Democratic lawmakers raised questions about his
   credentials, specifically about allegations he overstated his
   counterterrorism achievements as a federal prosecutor.

   Many also questioned Ratcliffe's lack of experience with U.S.
   intelligence agencies, noting his most direct connection has been as a
   member of the House Intelligence Committee, a seat he got only last
   year.

   But Trump nominated Ratcliffe again this past February, calling him "an
   outstanding man of great talent!"

     I am pleased to announce the nomination of [2]@RepRatcliffe
     (Congressman John Ratcliffe) to be Director of National Intelligence
     (DNI). Would have completed process earlier, but John wanted to wait
     until after IG Report was finished. John is an outstanding man of
     great talent!
     -- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) [3]February 28, 2020

   In his opening statement, Ratcliffe told lawmakers that despite his
   partisan background, if confirmed as director of national intelligence,
   he would seek to be "a stabilizing force" for the U.S. intelligence
   agencies while protecting the agencies from any political litmus tests.

   "You have my commitment to deliver timely, accurate and objective
   intelligence and to speak truth to power, be that with Congress or
   within the administration," he said.

   Ratcliffe also sought to distance himself from comments Trump made last
   July, when he said the intelligence community needed someone to "rein
   in" agencies that "have run amok."

   "I have never said that," Ratcliffe said, adding he hoped such talk
   would not have an effect on morale.

   China and COVID-19his priorities

   Ratcliffe told lawmakers that if confirmed, his top priority would be
   China and the coronavirus pandemic.

   Trump and other top administration officials have said there is
   mounting evidence that the COVID-19 virus spread from a Chinese
   laboratory in Wuhan where the first cases were reported, though U.S.
   intelligence officials have said publicly that the virus was not
   human-made.

   "The intelligence community will be laser focused on getting all of the
   answers that we can regarding how this happened when this happened,"
   Ratcliffe said. "The American people deserve answers."

   Despite getting praise from Republicans on the committee, including the
   chairman, Sen. Richard Burr, Ratcliffe came under criticism from
   Democrats, who said that although he had provided answers to more than
   100 questions prior to the hearing, he had failed to alleviate their
   concerns.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-politics/trumps-pick-national-intelligence-director-withdraws
   2. https://twitter.com/RepRatcliffe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
   3. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1233518334282489861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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