Trump Tweets Support For CIA Director Pick Gina Haspel
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WASHINGTON (CBSMiami) - President Donald Trump's choice to be the next CIA directors is facing a tough road ahead.
On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that Gina Haspel sought to withdraw from consideration. Haspel reportedly wanted to avoid a confrontational hearing centered on her role in the agency's "enhanced interrogations" of terror suspects which critics have said was torture.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein noted that Haspel was the one who drafted memo's ordering the destruction of tapes of those enhanced interrogations.
"I am of the opinion that putting somebody right now at the head of the CIA who played a role in let's say torture is not necessarily appropriate. I have met with Gina Haspel. I know her somewhat. I know that she is talented but I also know that she was fully supportive of the program that many of us are very critical of," she said.
A source close to the matter told CBS News that her nomination is "going forward."
Monday morning Trump took to Twitter to express his support.
My highly respected nominee for CIA Director, Gina Haspel, has come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists. Think of that, in these very dangerous times, we have the most qualified person, a woman, who Democrats want OUT because she is too tough on terror. Win Gina!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden said Haspel would be good for the Trump administration.
"With a president who does not always attach his decisions to the real world, to data, to evidence. Gina Haspel is the one woman I want in that room when everyone else will be going into North-South auto-bob and saying "you're right boss". Gina Haspel won't," said Hayden.
