"I am pleased to announce the nomination of @RepRatcliffe (Congressman John Ratcliffe) to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI)," Trump tweeted.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2020
Trump previously appointed Ratcliffe to be his intelligence chief last July. However, Ratcliffe withdrew his consideration several weeks later due to allegations that he had "padded his resume" and "bipartisan concerns about his experience," the Hill reported.
Ratcliffe will become the director of national intelligence after congressional approval by the US Senate.
Ratcliffe's questioning of witnesses during the Mueller probe and the House impeachment investigation drew positive attention within the Republican Party.
Trump's appointment of Ratcliffe comes after the president named Richard Grenell, the American ambassador to Germany, as the next acting director of national intelligence on February 20. At the time, Grenell was replacing retired US Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Maguire, who was then the acting intelligence chief.
In August 2019, then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stepped down from the position following several disagreements with Trump over assessments involving Russia, Iran and North Korea.
