On Thursday, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman confirmed that Sue Gordon, the Deputy Director of National Intelligence, is resigning following an Oval Office meeting with Vice President Mike Pence:
President Donald Trump shortly confirmed the news in a pair of tweets:
Gordon, who was second-in-command at the critical office that coordinates 17 national intelligence agencies, would have been in line to succeed removed Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats on an acting basis, but Trump has been giving mixed signals on whether he would allow this to happen.
Trump is currently seeking to find a replacement nominee for Coats after his first nomination, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX), fell through amid controversy. He is reportedly considering several people, including right-wing firebrand Dutch ambassador Pete Hoekstra.
