Quick update on the story we brought you Monday, of Trump picking John Ratfcliffe, the world's stupidest GOP congressman whose name isn't Devin Nunes or Louie Gohmert or Matt Gaetz or Mark Meadows or Jim Jordan or that guy who wants to know WHAR MICHAEL COHEN'S BOXES, to be the new director of national intelligence (DNI). As we noted, the law (THE LAW) states that in the absence of a confirmed DNI, the principal deputy director of national intelligence becomes the acting DNI. That woman's name is Sue Gordon and she is a career official who seems mostly liked by the professional intelligence community, therefore she is obviously not the ghoulish bootlicker Donald Trump wants in the position. Why, she probably would try to do her actual job, instead of politicizing the intel community to chase down and punish the villains of the Fox News conspiracy theories Trump finds between the folds of his orange buttocks!

So of course, CNN is reporting that Trump might try to "bypass protocol" in naming a new acting chief, which is CNN's way of saying he wants to BREAK THE LAW:

A senior administration official and a source familiar with the issue added that there's an active search right now for candidates to assume the acting role and it's unlikely that Deputy Director Sue Gordon will be picked. The search is underway as Ratcliffe goes through the confirmation process. [...]

Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican who's the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN he would be "shocked" if Gordon weren't selected as acting director.

"Well, the White house certainly has that ability

(to break the law)

but she's more than capable of handling that job," he said. "I would be shocked, because that's what principal deputies are in place for."The administration is reviewing whether it can legally choose an acting director outside the line of succession, one of the sources said. However, the sources caution no final decision has been made

(to break the law).

CNN cites legal analyst Stephen Vladeck, who allows that there are "two competing theories" as to whether Trump can do this, or whether it would just be common Trump-style law-breaking. Just rest assured that if the Trump White House can figure out a way to break the law while still having a really thin and laughable legal pretext for doing so, they will do that (more, again).

Like maybe they might fire Sue Gordon and end a public servant's career, because Donald Trump's ass really itches right now and he wants what he wants:

Here is some text from the law in question, regarding a vacancy in the DNI position:

The Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence [HER NAME IS SUE GORDON - Ed.] shall act for, and exercise the powers of, the Director of National Intelligence during the absence or disability of the Director of National Intelligence or during a vacancy in the position of Director of National Intelligence.

That seems pretty clear, but then again, clarity in a law has never been a factor in whether President Crime Boss chooses to break it.

Natasha Bertrand adds some reporting context on the Twitter:

So that's normal. CNN says it's not that Trump doesn't like this Sue Gordon character. It's just that CNN's sources say the White House is worried that, as a career official who is normal and has a soul and presumably loves America, she is utterly unqualified to do her part to destroy the intelligence community in service of Unelected Shit King Grab-Ass and his paranoid delusions. (CNN's sources did not say that exactly. We are reading between the lines.)

Meanwhile, in Ratcliffe-land! We discussed yesterday how the DNI nominee's national security credentials are thin at best, considering how his main claim to fame is that he was the mayor of Heath, Texas, population Probably Some Cows. ABC News is now reporting that in one of the main cases he's been citing to tout his experience as an anti-terrorism prosecutor, Ratcliffe has been "misrepresenting" his role in that case, which is a very legal and very cool way to say "lying."

Also, do you remember when a conspiracy theory took hold in the very stupidest parts of Congress that there was a "secret society" in the FBI dedicated to taking down Donald Trump, based on an obvious joke text message between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, two FBI officials who were boning outside the confines of holy matrimony, and also somehow in Trump's fever dreams were the head of an Illuminati plot concocted by Hillary Clinton so that she could steal the election from herself and give it to Russia to give it to Donald Trump, in order that Hillary might fulfill her evil dream of losing an election and going on long walks in the woods in Chappaqua?

John Ratcliffe started that, because he's that much of a dumbfuck.

America's doing just fine, everyone, feel free to take a nap.

[CNN]

Follow Evan Hurst on Twitter RIGHT HERE, DO IT RIGHT HERE!

Wonkette is ad-free and funded ONLY by YOU, our dear readers. If you love Wonkette, SUPPORT WONKETTE.

How often would you like to donate?

Just once Monthly

Select an amount (USD)

$2$25$5$50$10$100$15$500$20$1000