WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump will appoint former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence.
The pick could be announced later this week, according to a person briefed Thursday on the decision. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Coats is a conservative who spent 16 years in the Senate. He announced his retirement last year and did not seek re-election.
Trump’s decision comes as he has been sharply critical of the nation’s intelligence agencies and has cast doubt about their conclusion that Russia was behind hacking to influence last year’s elections. .
Today, Trump is expected to meet with directors of the FBI and CIA, as well as current DNI James Clapper to be briefed on their findings.
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