WASHINGTON — A Utah congressman has emerged as a high contender to be the subsequent director of nationwide intelligence within the weeks earlier t
WASHINGTON — A Utah congressman has emerged as a high contender to be the subsequent director of nationwide intelligence within the weeks earlier than the performing intelligence chief should by legislation quit the submit, folks briefed on the matter mentioned on Tuesday.
President Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, Robert C. O’Brien, is pushing him to appoint Consultant Chris Stewart, Republican of Utah and a member of the Home Intelligence Committee, for the job, the folks mentioned. Present and former officers cautioned that the discussions have been fluid.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Stewart didn’t remark.
Joseph Maguire, the director of the Nationwide Counterterrorism Heart, has filled in as the acting director of national intelligence since Dan Coats resigned in August. However underneath present legislation limiting the length of postings for performing cabinet-level officers, Mr. Maguire should step down subsequent month.
Mr. Trump has not nominated a everlasting alternative for Mr. Coats since his early choose, Consultant John Ratcliffe, Republican of Texas, withdrew in August after questions about whether he exaggerated his résumé.
Mr. Stewart, like different Republicans on the Home Intelligence Committee, vigorously defended Mr. Trump throughout impeachment hearings within the fall that centered on the president’s strain marketing campaign on Ukraine. And he has been sharply important of the dealing with by the Justice Division and F.B.I. of an investigation into the Trump marketing campaign’s ties to Russian interference within the 2016 election.
“They need to take away my vote and throw it within the trash,” Mr. Stewart said of Democrats simply earlier than the impeachment vote within the Home. “They need to take away my president and delegitimize him so he can’t be re-elected.”
Mr. Stewart, 59, has lengthy been within the submit of intelligence chief, folks near him mentioned. He’s popular with congressional Republicans and is believed to take pleasure in assist from Senate Republicans, who would affirm him if he’s nominated.
However Democrats are more likely to balk on the number of a Home lawmaker with such a political observe document. Senate Republicans may have the votes to approve on their very own a nominee like Mr. Stewart, however some have mentioned they need to see a nominee with bipartisan support. Senator Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina, who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, was cool to Mr. Ratcliffe’s nomination and is more likely to affect the White Home’s final alternative.
The clock is ticking on a choice. Mr. Maguire can not serve previous March 11 underneath federal legislation. Earlier than then, the administration will need to have a director nominated and confirmed or be compelled to discover a new performing director.
The White Home may nonetheless determine to appoint Mr. Maguire, based on the present and former officers. Mr. Maguire, a retired Navy admiral, has assist throughout the administration. His counterterrorism experience can also be thought-about an asset to Mr. Trump, who has been centered on strikes in opposition to terrorist leaders.
What will not be clear, nonetheless, is whether or not the president sees Mr. Maguire’s position in dealing with the nameless whistle-blower complaint about Mr. Trump’s dealings with Ukraine that helped immediate the impeachment inquiry as an asset or a legal responsibility.
Mr. Maguire adopted the recommendation of administration attorneys and initially blocked the criticism from being despatched to Congress, drawing the ire of Consultant Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and the chairman of the Home Intelligence Committee.
However quickly after, he engineered an settlement to supply the criticism to Congress. That transfer, together with the discharge of the reconstructed transcript of Mr. Trump’s name with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, helped immediate the impeachment inquiry.
Mr. Trump has not publicly criticized Mr. Maguire, and the performing director was not among the many officers dismissed within the fast aftermath of the president’s acquittal by the Senate. He has continued to temporary the president and take part in decision-making such because the transfer to kill the Iranian normal Qassim Suleimani in an airstrike final month.
If Mr. Maguire have been nominated for the everlasting submit, he must step down because the performing secretary whereas the Senate thought-about his nomination. That might take weeks or, like Protection Secretary Mark T. Esper’s nomination, be accomplished in a couple of days.
Whereas Mr. Ratcliffe’s nomination shortly raised questions, many congressional officers view Mr. Stewart as a stronger candidate.
A retired Air Drive officer and a prolific novelist, Mr. Stewart has served longer on the Intelligence Committee than Mr. Ratcliffe has. He additionally has a great status contained in the intelligence companies as a committee member who comes ready to briefings and asks severe, well-informed questions.
Nonetheless, it isn’t clear if he could be prepared to depart Congress to take the job. And if he did, he may not be prepared to resign and quit his seat early. Mr. Stewart faces each a main problem and a Democratic opponent if he decides to run once more in…