JUST IN: US Senate confirms Rep. Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence, installing a new head of the nation's intelligence agencies at a time when President Trump has ousted multiple officials.
Democrats said they were skeptical that Ratcliffe would be an independent leader, despite his assurances during his confirmation hearing. The Republican has been an ardent defender of the president through House impeachment and investigations into Russian interference.
Still, the position carries unique challenges given the president’s seeming inclinations to politicize intelligence and to bend intelligence agencies to his will. Trump has openly rejected intelligence community assessments at odds with his own viewpoint, including on the Russian interference. Last week, for instance, Senate Republicans released a newly declassified list of former intelligence officials who requested the identity of an American from intelligence reports who turned out to be former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn.
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