<p>President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). ;</p>
<p>If confirmed by the Senate, Coats will become Trump&rsquo;s principal adviser on matters of intelligence and ;security. He will also oversee the National Intelligence Program, the budget for ;all intelligence agencies totaling about $53.5 Billion for 2017.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Dan has clearly demonstrated the deep subject matter expertise and sound judgment required to lead our intelligence community,&rdquo; said Trump. ;</p>
<p>Coats served in the senate from 1989 to 1999 and again from 2011 to 2017. He was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee. From 2001 to 2005, he served as the US Ambassador to Germany. ;</p>
<p>Coats has a reputation for being &ldquo;anti-Russian,&rdquo; a fact that makes him stand out as an odd choice for Trump. ;</p>
<p>Trump has denied intelligence officials&rsquo; assessments that Russia was involved in the election hacks and has pushed for better relations with Moscow. ;</p>
<p>Coats was actually banned from Russia after pushing for more sanctions as punishment for ;Putin&rsquo;s invasion of Crimea.</p>
<p> ;&ldquo;While I&rsquo;m disappointed that I won&rsquo;t be able to go on vacation with my family in Siberia this summer, I am honored to be on this list,&rdquo; said Coats in response to his banishment. ;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> I&#8217;m not sure and anti-Russian is a bad choice here. Trump has a way of cultivating opposing sides to get the best results.</p>
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