Republican lawmaker Ratcliffe withdraws as intel chief nominee: Trump

(FILES) In this file photo taken on July 24, 2019 US Representative John Ratcliffe, Republican of Texas, listens as former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies in Washington, DC. – US President Donald Trump said August 2, 2019, that Congressman John Ratcliffe, his nominee to be the next Director of National Intelligence, was withdrawing from consideration. Trump said he would announce a new nominee “shortly” to replace Dan Coats as head of the 17 agencies that make up the US intelligence community. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (AFP) — US President Donald Trump said Friday that Congressman John Ratcliffe, his nominee to be the next Director of National Intelligence, was withdrawing from consideration.

Trump said he would announce a new nominee “shortly” to replace Dan Coats as head of the 17 agencies that make up the US intelligence community.

“Our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media,” Trump said in a tweet announcing Ratcliffe’s withdrawal.

“Rather than going through months of slander and libel, I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people,” Trump said.

“John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country,” Trump said.

Trump blamed Ratcliffe’s withdrawal on the media, but his nomination had come in for strong criticism from Democrats and received only a tepid response from key Republicans, putting a question mark over whether he could have earned Senate confirmation.