Conservative commentator blasts 'paranoid' and 'conspiratorial' Trump for forcing out Sue Gordon

On Thursday's edition of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," conservative commentator Max Boot tore into President Donald Trump for pushing out Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon.

"It's been pretty clear President Trump did not want her in that post, though he had to at one point said some nice things about her," said Cooper. "How do you see her resignation?"

"Well, I think it's certainly a bad signal, Anderson, because Sue Gordon is somebody who was universally respected, over 30-year career in intelligence," said Boot. "She was somebody who was seen as a very competent and nonpolitical professional. But somehow she fell afoul of Donald Trump. We're not sure exactly why, but Donald Trump, Jr., just last week, you know, issued this crazy bizarre tweet where he said that, you know, the rumors about her being besties with Brennan, John Brennan and the rest of the clown cadre must be 100% true because Adam Schiff recommended her for the post of acting Director of National Intelligence."

"I mean, that is just crazy," said Boot. "They're sort of paranoid, conspiratorial and sure everybody else is conspiratorial, too, whereas Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, was just delivering the universal judgment of intelligence professionals in Washington, which was that Sue Gordon was the right person for the post."

Cooper noted that at least the person Trump is choosing for acting DNI, former Vice Adm. Joseph McGuire, is qualified for the role. Boot concurred — but warned that this may not be the end of it.

"When I think about this appointment, I'm reminded of a version of Churchhill's quip about America," said Boot. "In the case of Trump, I would say that he sometimes does the right thing, but only after exhausting all the other alternatives. And, of course, in the case of the DNI job, he tried to appoint John Ratcliffe. The Republican congressman who falsified his background and had no qualifications whatsoever in intelligence, and now, you know, Trump got rid of Sue Gordon. But at least mercifully, the acting post is going to former Vice Admiral Joe McGuire, who is also well respected, a professional, Navy SEAL."

"We have to worry about who is going to be the permanent, you know, Director of National Intelligence," added Boot. "Is Trump going to try to appoint somebody like Devin Nunes, which would certainly not be beyond him."