Thread by @DavidPriess

Let’s look quickly at the resumes of the five men who have served as Director of National Intelligence, from the position’s inception in 2005 until now, and compare them to the resume of new nominee John Ratcliffe.

1/7

John Negroponte (DNI from 2005-07) was one of his generation’s most storied diplomats, having 40+ years in the Foreign Service, and time as Ambassadorships to the UN and to countries as varied as Iraq and Mexico.

He’d been Deputy National Security Advisor for Ronald Reagan.

2/7

Mike McConnell (DNI from 2007-09) had been Director of the National Security Agency after almost three decades in the US Navy, where he’d reached Vice Admiral.

During the first Gulf War, he’d been intel chief for SecDef Dick Cheney and Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell.

3/7

Denny Blair (DNI from 2009-10) had served 30+ years in the US Navy, culminating as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Command.

His career included an assignment as the first Associate Director of Central Intelligence for Military Support.

4/7

The Air Force intel career of Jim Clapper (DNI from 2010-17) began in the early 1960s.

Before becoming DNI, he served as Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.

5/7

Dan Coats (DNI from 2017-now) had served four terms as a Congressman and 16 years in the Senate, with three years on the Intelligence Committee.

He’d also spent almost four years as US Ambassador to Germany as was nearly appointed Secretary of Defense by George W. Bush.

6/7

John Ratcliffe was a US Attorney for a year and Mayor of Heath, TX for eight years. He’s sat on the Homeland Security Committee, though not its Counterterrorism & Intel Subcommittee, since joining Congress in 2015.

He’s been on the Intelligence Committee for seven months.

/end