Trump’s Disastrous Pick for National Intelligence Director

March 16, 2017

By Kurt Nimmo
It looks like Indiana Sen. Dan Coats will be confirmed by the Senate for the national intelligence director slot. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 88-11 to confirm Coats.

NEW: U.S. Senate confirms former Senator Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence by a vote of 85-12 pic.twitter.com/Ntn2TIy1g4

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 15, 2017

Coats advocates violating the Constitution, specifically the Fourth Amendment. He supported reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. 702 is used by the NSA to justify mass collection of phone calls and emails by collecting a huge amount of data directly from the physical infrastructure of communications providers without a warrant.

Dan Coats defended the NSA’s domestic surveillance programs — which violated Americans’ rights — as “legal.” Thankfully, courts disagreed. https://t.co/fJNTXTSPPH

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 5, 2017

As a senator, Coats voted against the USA Freedom Act. The legislation would have outlawed the bulk collection of data. He also believes law enforcement should be able to bypass encryption.

Despite this hardline, some members of Congress doubt he is tough enough.
“I absolutely understand that this role demands someone who can stand up to the pressures that will be placed upon him,” Coats said during his confirmation hearing. “Given the situation that we are facing worldwide in terms of these threats, we don’t have time just to be the nice guy.”
Or defend and protect the Constitution, apparently.
Coats also supports the continuation of the Guantanamo Bay torture center. He characterized a 2014 Senate report condemning the US torture program as “unconstructive.”
“I support that detention, which I think is done in a lawful way,” he said.
He disagrees with Trump on Russia. “Russia’s assertiveness in global affairs is something I look upon with great concern, which we need to address with eyes wide open and a healthy degree of skepticism,” he said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Dan Coats promises tough line on Russia as intelligence chief https://t.co/kOnODA6FhL pic.twitter.com/xpCdGaxFpU

— Political News (@politics12news1) March 1, 2017

He also disagrees with Trump on the absurd contention Russia somehow influenced the election. “It’s publicly known and acknowledged and accepted that Russia definitely did try to influence the campaign,” he said.
It should be obvious by now to even the most inattentive American that Donald Trump represents more of the same—more war, more out of control federal spending, and a continuation and expansion of the surveillance state.
Kurt Nimmo is the editor of Another Day in the Empire, where this article first appeared. He is the former lead editor and writer of Infowars.com. Donate to ADE Here.

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