According to The Gateway Pundit there are five names being debated for permanent DNI {SEE HERE}.
Qualifying any comment by saying this is entirely speculation, a few have asked me for opinion.
Gateway Pundit posits the names: GOP Representative Elise Stefanik, GOP Representative Rick Crawford, current Deputy Director of the CIA Michael Ellis, Vice President JD Vance’s national security adviser Cliff Sims, and former GOP Rep Jason Chaffetz.
Names not mentioned in that article include former HPSCI Chairman Devin Nunes or former Representative now U.S. Attorney for North Carolina Dan Bishop.
Without being fully transparent about how I am reaching my perspective, here’s my take on these names.
I have not seen Michael Ellis in this discussion before. However, he would be a very solid consideration. Ellis is a very straight, non-pretending, deliberate and serious person. With a firm grasp on the problem, Ellis would be a solid option.
Current HPSCI Chairman Rick Crawford would also be a solid consideration. As current HPSCI Chairman Crawford has worked with Tulsi Gabbard, and he does have a very firm grasp on the nuances and issues within the current intelligence community.
Dan Bishop’s name has not been mentioned by many, but he would also be an asset in the role. At least he should be interviewed to see if he thoroughly understands the problem and would be willing to confront it.
Stefanik might want the job and might be the favorite of White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, but I’m not sure Stefanik is strong enough to stand up to the pressure within the overall intelligence apparatus. There’s a general pretending that often comes from DC familiarity as well as willingness to go along with norms and status quo. Stefanik is not a disruptor.
It doesn’t seem like Devin Nunes wants the job, for all of the reasons why a tenured IC person wouldn’t want the job. Jason Chaffetz would be worthless, as he was when Chairman of the House Oversight Committee. I don’t know enough about Cliff Simms to give an opinion.
Ranked: Ellis, Crawford, Bishop.
Concerning: Stefanik, Chaffetz.
Best Route: Give strong weight to Tulsi Gabbard’s recommendation.
What do we know about the CIA guy Ellis?
Was he brought in by Ratcliffe?
Before being tapped for Deputy CIA he was Chief Legal Counsel for Rumble.
TY.
Perchance a free thinker
deleted …
Heard/read he’s “ALL-IN” on increased $$$$$ and “support” for Ukraine … so I’d walk-away from him …
I would give strong weight to Director Gabbard’s recommendations as well. She’s seen much from inside and knows what the DNI faces.
Given her work product thus far she should be given veto authority in the room.
A big fat NO on Chaffetz.
(I think he likes being on TV too much)
Too much chaff.
🫡
Where did that come from? Whoever suggested Chaffetz needs to be reexamined themselves.
It’s in the GP article:
One person close to the White House even suggested that former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz ….
That looks like a swamp operation to get Chaffetz’s name out there. Now Congress can sing his praises and claim he’ll get confirmed no problem. Same playbook as when they toss out names for Director FBI.
The only consideration from Utah might be .. Mike Lee for USSC
They never go away, never. Dan Quayle is the only one I can think of that truly said good-bye to politics and ties, at least best I know of.
I am surprised Rooster Head hasn’t popped up.
Agree.
Chaffetz is a Trey Gowdy clone, but with less of a smirk 🤗
He is weak, folded like a cheap suit when confronted by proven deep state liars in House hearings, promising to have subpoenas issued for indictments and nothing happened, just like chicken little Trey Gowdy, nothing but a loudmouth rooster with no balls. Got his payoff with his never watched Fox show sometime on the weekend as filler for wasted time slot before Israeli Levin.
Heck NO on Stefanik! I think she was the one who nominated Kevin McCarty for House Speaker SEVERAL times. If so, there’s no possible way I’d support this choice.
She is not for that role.
Good to see we are getting depth of options in all postitions as the president continues to build solid infrastructure in the murky swamp.
Do not discount Rep. Elise Stefanik from Upstate New York. She, like fellow Republican Lee Zeldin, has been fighting to keep NY in the power structure. Horrible to watch the crazy woman Governor Hochul running things into the ground now. I will always be a fan of Stefanik as when she quizzed the Harvard U. “President” Claudine Gay and the other Ivy League Presidents in the committee hearing that day. Gay was gone by the New Year! Stefanik is an Alumna of Harvard but the University removed her from a committee after that. But she had nailed the problem: Diversity! She’s young and strong, so KEEP HER!
never really liked Stefanik. She’s had her time against President Trump.
Isn’t she the one SD commonly posts on here from the hearing where she exposed the Comey lies?
Yup.
That sure looked like her passing a RINO test fir acceptance.
Task, show Comey we are on to his shenanigans without making it an issue.
She passed with flying colors.
Since then, despite being a team player, she has been cut from the team. So she is available. But I doubt she would continue Gabbards success against the Deep State team.
Maybe she could run fro gov or mayor nyc then gov
No politicians, please. They are very reluctant to prosecute the deep state. They view EVERYTHING as political (negotiable).
Exactly so….with few exceptions
Tulsi Gabbard being one of them.
Well, she was targeted by the Deep State and that either makes you compliant or mad enough to fight. She fought.
Sundance, in the paragraph about Stefanik you referred to someone named “Susie Ellis”, and maybe you meant that old dinosaur Susie Wiles, or maybe she got married to an Ellis? Or maybe something’s happened with the White House staff that I’m not aware of . . .
Agree that Stefanik is not a good choice at all.
0.o
Another thing about Stefanik is going back several years she seems like she has a relationship with Dan Goldman wherein they keep secrets or know an inside joke that nobody else is privy to, just an observation made from watching them interact-darty eyes, smirky smiles.
There’s something insincere about her and she tends to tread lightly almost as if she’s afraid to rock the boat or stick her neck out too far.
Dan is just bad company in general.
0.o
We all know who he meant. Do you feel better now?
Fixed…. 😉
Stefanik is a creature of the NGO IRI, ie, never to be trusted.
She’s weak. Started out strong and has settled in to the typical political mold. Stefanik is a strong 👎 Same for Cheffetz.
NED
There ya go! No need to give her another thought.
She ought to be at home taking care of her family instead of flitting around the swamp.
And I agree that she is not trustworthy.
0.o
And the odds for each surviving confirmation hearings?
Especially with lame ducks Cornyn, Tillis, Cassidy…and the usual hard core RINOs who take great pleasure throwing their precious spanners in the works? There are undoubtedly more who would be problematic.
Murkowski, Collins, and McConnell.
(I know…the names presented aren’t written in stone. Still, with a cadre of pouting, seething RINO saboteurs, worth thinking about perhaps.)
No problem. If the hearings drag on and various people eliminated, William Pulte can just keep working…
Hobson’s choice.
It would have very Trumpy if Pulte was appointed for the sole reason that the President knows who he’s appointing, knows the RINOs will hate the nominee, and wanted to light a fire under the Senate.
If I wrote the constitution I’d make primary day your last day to vote on anything if you lost. Same with Nov elections, if you lost you’re no longer voting until replaced. Lame ducks can be treacherous and retaliatory.
Back when it was written, Reps and Senators had to travel hundreds of miles to sit in many cases. My husband and I have often discussed this issue.
I suppose the answer lies with electing “honourable and moral” men and women who care for this nation.
But as we have been shown, they are very few of those.
But unless or until our electoral system is dredged, sanitized, and returned to service?
It’s sickening.
“…White House Chief of Staff Susie Ellis…”
Typo?….Susie Wiles.
Stephen Miller
Unlikely to be confirmed but he is sharp and loyal to MAGA principles.
Set up a team, And roll each one of the team in and out as temporary.
Let the acting director has his 120 days then perhaps another until the losing rinos are no longer there to make trouble.
210….and more if the Senate refuses to confirm a replacement.
Ask Pete Hegseth, ask CJCS Dan (Raising) Cain for their recommendations from the ranks of the military.
Trump likes to move the chess pieces around and keep everyone off balance. He also likes to give people enough rope to hang themselves, and/or do certain tasks/missions, then move them. So.
As much as I love our President, there have been plenty of times I’ve been disappointed. He always comes around though! He’s never afraid to reverse course or change direction. People say he has a huge ego. Someone with a huge ego won’t correct themselves. I say he has a ton of confidence based on experience.
Allen West.
No.
Dan Bishop is a good guy but we need him in North Carolina . He left the Methodist church in Charlotte when we did over there woke agenda. I do not know how he would perform in the DNI role but I know him not to be afraid of the fight.
Cliff Sims was on the Trump 2020 team. He wrote the book, “Team of Vipers, ” detailing the travails of the campaign and after the inauguration.
Agreed! Chaffetz was a Bad Joke. Please No Mas!!
As someone who lives in New York, in the district adjacent to Stefanik’s, and who has donated to her on multiple occasions, I have to say I am quite disappointed with her, as of late.
Her decision to leave Congress to run for Governor of New York, only to then drop out of the Governor’s race, has left me wondering about her judgement and toughness.
Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte! Pulte!
There’s my vote! He comes with a Tulsi stamp!!!
HELL NO on Elise Stefanik!
She’s the primary reason the FCC and other government agencies have banned DJI drones.
They cite security concerns yet have provided NO evidence whatsoever! A recent third-party analysis found no security issues at all. And modern satellite technology can read the date on a dime from space, so there is absolutely nothing a drone can see that China hasn’t already seen!
Not surprisingly, her husband is a big lobbyist for several of the American drone manufacturers, you know the ones that cost anywhere from five to ten times more than DJI equipment but fail to equal their capabilities.
FYI – DJI drones are used by 92% of all businesses, as well as the majority of state/county/city governments and law enforcement agencies.
Everything I’ve stated can be verified through the Vets to Drones organization – vetstodrones.org – the Pilot Institute – pilotinstitute.com – as well as a quick search online.
Elise Stefanik would be as ineffective, or downright damaging as DNI, as Pam Bondi was as Attorney General!
I wish Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo) was on the list. But we need her as the next Senator from Wyoming.
I agree, she is a strong no nonsense MAGA /Trump supporter, and her strength is needed in the beta dominated males in Senate easily influenced by power/money.
I am a no on Stefanik. People seemed to think she was this great MAGA warrior, but that’s not what her voting record showed. A great deal of the time she voted with the other NY GOP frauds like Lawlor, GarbaRINO, and La Loser. And I agree that she doesn’t have the stuff to stand up to the deep state types.
Chaffetz is likely to run for Governor of Utah (credible rumor)
Not sure we would want him at DNI – but he may make a play for that in order to further his ambitions towards that governorship
Chaffetz would be better than the one Utah has now!
I’ve heard/read that Ellis is a BIG supporter of increased $$$$$ and “support” for Ukraine … that’s a non-starter for me.
And Stefanik as DNI ?? !! ?? Director of National Intelligence … ??? YGTBSM — BIG TIME !!
She’s completely UNQUALIFIED … but she certainly is ambitious and a suck-up. She may even be less qualified for the position of DNI than Bondi was for AG …
Chaffetz… LOL – Like Rooster or Issa weren’t available.
Replying to Sundance’s recommendations:
We need Tulsi to come back. She is proven in this position bc of her integrity for the USA. NO ONE can be as strong as she in this necessary and critical position.