Trump picks Ambassador Grenell as Acting Intelligence chief; Grenell will do both jobs

[essentialsaltes]

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has named Richard Grenell, a staunch loyalist, as acting spy chief.

"I am pleased to announce that our highly respected Ambassador to Germany, @RichardGrenell, will become the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him," Trump tweeted.

News of the pick, which was first reported by the New York Times, comes as Trump faces a March 11 deadline to nominate a new director of national intelligence or name a new acting spy chief as federal law prevents Maguire from serving beyond that date.

[Maguire became Acting DNI after Trump-appointed DNI Dan Coats was fired 3 days after the perfect phone call.]

Grenell will retain his ambassadorship to Germany while he is acting DNI, according to a senior administration official.

[Grenell has no intelligence experience.]

But it does not appear that Trump is looking for someone with deep intelligence experience in the role -- a former senior White House official described Trump's decision as "filling the gaps" following the impeachment acquittal, sensing disloyalty in Maguire, and filling that position with somebody he sees as sufficiently loyal. Trump is "looking for a 'political' who will have his back," the former official said.

This is absurd. A guy with no intelligence experience will both be ambassador to Germany and direct the intelligence agencies.

 

[DaisyDay]

Well, is he loyal to Donald and can he work with Rudy Giuliani?

He is only "acting" so his Senate approval for the ambassadorship will carry over.

 

[Arcangl86]

How can he be ambassador to Germany and oversee the intelligence community located in DC at the same time?

 

[wing2000]

This is absurd. A guy with no intelligence experience will both be ambassador to Germany and direct the intelligence agencies.

Who needs the intelligence agencies anyway? With Donald's gut instinct, America will win!

 

[LostMarbels]

@essentialsaltes

Not a single tie to intelligence at all. Has no connections within the intelligence community whatsoever. Never held a single intel establishment position; party affiliated or not.

Pro: He is squeaky clean. Not a chance he has ever been involved in any of the intel matters we see in current politics.

Con: Absolute newborn babe thrown to the wolves. I do not believe he has any idea what is about to confront him. Or how to deal with it.

Guess we will see.

 

[wing2000]

Loyal subject Grunell will not make this mistake (how dare the DNI provide intelligence analysis!):

A senior U.S. intelligence official told lawmakers last week that Russia wants to see President Trump reelected, viewing his administration as more favorable to the Kremlin’s interests, according to people who were briefed on the comments.

After learning of that analysis, which was provided to House lawmakers in a classified hearing, Trump grew angry at his acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, in the Oval Office, seeing him and his staff as disloyal for speaking to Congress about Russia’s perceived preference. The intelligence official’s analysis and Trump’s furious response ruined Maguire’s chances of becoming the permanent intelligence chief, according to people familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nati...d2b4ec-53f1-11ea-b119-4faabac6674f_story.html

 

[Cimorene]

That's like wanting your pilot to also be the chief of the local fire station. It's majorly stupid having him serving 2 roles at the same time. It's also stupid to pick him in the 1st place bc he hasn't got the experience for it. He picked Grenell who has zero intel experience to be the chief of intel.


The only qualification Trump cared about is that he's got undying loyalty to Trump & is willing to say whatever Trump tells him do. No care whatsoever about competency which is why he's just named in the acting capacity.

He pushed the qualified person out bc he actually did his job & told the truth about how the Russians interfered in our elections in favour of Trump, are doing so again. This is an established fact. I literally just saw where a grown man wanted to instead base what he believed about this on a comic strip, not on what the intelligence communities have established.

 

[LostMarbels]

Loyal subject Grunell will not make this mistake (how dare the DNI provide intelligence analysis!):

The only qualification Trump cared about is that he's got undying loyalty to Trump & is willing to say whatever Trump tells him do. No care whatsoever about competency which is why he's just named in the acting capacity.

This is a cabinet position of the Executive branch. You exspect President Trump to have disloyal individuals that purposely undermine him within his own cabinet?

 

[Fantine]

He fired the previous "acting" intelligence chief the day he learned he'd informed the House Intelligence Committee that Russia was already starting to interfere in the 2020 election to benefit Trump.

How dare he! How dare he tell Schiff that foreign interference that could benefit Trump was taking place! He was gone within 24 hours.

Republicans: Aren't you tired of a president that never puts country before his own base interests?

 

[Cimorene]

This is a cabinet position of the Executive branch. You exspect President Trump to have disloyal individuals that purposely undermine him within his own cabinet?

I don't expect anything from Donald Trump.

What I expect from people who are mature & rational is to realize that providing facts that disappoint but are in fact, facts necessary to know, is not an act of disloyalty. Trump views loyalty as telling him what he wants to hear, not what is true & what needs to be heard.

 

[Tom 1]

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has named Richard Grenell, a staunch loyalist, as acting spy chief.

"I am pleased to announce that our highly respected Ambassador to Germany, @RichardGrenell, will become the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Rick has represented our Country exceedingly well and I look forward to working with him," Trump tweeted.

News of the pick, which was first reported by the New York Times, comes as Trump faces a March 11 deadline to nominate a new director of national intelligence or name a new acting spy chief as federal law prevents Maguire from serving beyond that date.

[Maguire became Acting DNI after Trump-appointed DNI Dan Coats was fired 3 days after the perfect phone call.]

Grenell will retain his ambassadorship to Germany while he is acting DNI, according to a senior administration official.

[Grenell has no intelligence experience.]

But it does not appear that Trump is looking for someone with deep intelligence experience in the role -- a former senior White House official described Trump's decision as "filling the gaps" following the impeachment acquittal, sensing disloyalty in Maguire, and filling that position with somebody he sees as sufficiently loyal. Trump is "looking for a 'political' who will have his back," the former official said.

This is absurd. A guy with no intelligence experience will both be ambassador to Germany and direct the intelligence agencies.

It should be ok, I heard his job is mainly going to involve fitting ‘Donald Trump’ into a remix of the old Mickey Mouse TV show theme tune.

 

[LostMarbels]

I don't expect anything from Donald Trump.

You must be shocked...

What I expect from people who are mature & rational is to realize that providing facts that disappoint but are in fact, facts necessary to know, is not an act of disloyalty.

That is not what I asked, now is it? Trump is President. He is focused on enabling the political agenda he ran on for the next 5 years. That is what you do when you run the executive branch.

 

[Tom 1]

This is a cabinet position of the Executive branch. You exspect President Trump to have disloyal individuals that purposely undermine him within his own cabinet?

Dude, you are confusing your adjectives.

Forthright, competent, pragmatic different meaning to disloyal

Servile, acquiescent, self-serving different meaning to loyal.

 

[LostMarbels]

Republicans: Aren't you tired of a president that never puts country before his own base interests?

Yes... that is exactly why Trump is in office, and are going to make sure he stays in there.

 

[Cimorene]

You must be shocked...



That is not what I asked, now is it? Trump is President. He is focused on enabling the political agenda he ran on for the next 5 years. That is what you do when you run the executive branch.

I'm only shocked you think it's possible that anything Trump does shocks anyone.

Your question was based on an entirely flawed premise. Trump is focused on enabling his ego to thrive. That is his agenda & it always has been. Presidents take an oath of office to defend the Constitution & serve the people. Not just his base. The people. This is yet another absolute failure to honour that oath.

 

[LostMarbels]

Dude, you are confusing your adjectives.

Forthright, competent, pragmatic different meaning to disloyal

Servile, acquiescent, self-serving different meaning to loyal.

Trump not serving your interest, does not equate to him not serving my own. Seems some tend to forget that other opinions actualy exist independently, and without the consent of others.

 

[LostMarbels]

I'm only shocked you think it's possible that anything Trump does shocks anyone.

Your question was based on an entirely flawed premise. Trump is focused on enabling his ego to thrive. That is his agenda & it always has been. Presidents take an oath of office to defend the Constitution & serve the people. Not just his base. The people. This is yet another absolute failure to honour that oath.

An yet again, Trump is only faithful to his oath if he serves those who hate him. He is only performing his duties if he allows himself to be ousted. Forget his constituents... he is only a good president if I agree with him, right?

 

[Tom 1]

Trump not serving your interest, does not equate to him not serving my own. Seems some tend to forget that other opinions actualy exist independently, and without the consent of others.

Hmm yes, I was referring to the attitudes of people within the Trump cabinet, not voters. Some level of compromise beyond the usual go with the policy decisions you might not like is clearly needed. Not generally a good idea to have that kind of set up in any kind of organisation, it might work for a while but narcissistic bosses with a god complex tend to end up running whatever they are in charge of into the ground.

 

[LostMarbels]

Hmm yes, I was referring to the attitudes of people within the Trump cabinet, not voters. Some level of compromise beyond the usual go with the policy decisions you might not like is clearly needed. Not generally a good idea to have that kind of set up in any kind of organisation, it might work for a while but narcissistic bosses with a god complex tend to end up running whatever they are in charge of into the ground.

I think your flaw is thinking in terms of fairness, and compromise. Those who are against President Trump are not concerned with fairness, equilibrium, nor compromise. Such terms are nothing more that a talking point used to justify his removal.

You cannot compromise with a group set upon your destruction.

How many pro Trump cabinet members do you think would remain in office, say a dem is elected?

 

[Tom 1]

I think your flaw is thinking in terms of fairness, and compromise. Those who are against President Trump are not concerned with fairness, equilibrium, nor compromise. Such terms are nothing more that a talking point used to justify his removal.

You cannot compromise with a group set upon your destruction.

How many pro Trump cabinet members do you think would remain in office, say a dem is elected?

It’s not a question of pro-someone, being fair etc, but the ability to function competently in the role. Trump values loyalty over competence. That’s a bad thing - as competent people are gradually replaced with personal appointments, more things go wrong. Small cracks lead to bigger cracks, and eventually the whole thing collapses.