Trump hires Devin Nunes, who exposed Russia hoax, for intelligence advisory role
President-elect Donald Trump is bringing on former House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes to help combat the Deep State.
Trump's pick is sure to set off shockwaves in D.C., where Nunes famously helped uncover FBI abuses that plagued Trump's first term.
Nunes is the CEO of Trump's social media company, Truth Social. In a post on the platform, Trump said Nunes would serve as chairman of the President's National Intelligence Advisory Board, an independent group that monitors the intelligence community's compliance with the Constitution.
Trump hires Nunes
Trump's hiring of Nunes is the latest sign that Trump plans to rein in the intelligence community, which became one of Trump's arch-political foes during his first term. Indeed, the better part of Trump's first four years were spent battling the FBI's baseless probe into Trump's Russian ties.
As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee during the first half of Trump's first term, Nunes helped expose the political origins of the FBI's Russian collusion probe.
Working with Trump's now-FBI director nominee Kash Patel, Nunes uncovered egregious surveillance abuses in the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign.
Trump, citing Nunes' prominent role in uncovering the Russia hoax, said Nunes has the experience needed to oversee the intelligence community.
"While continuing his leadership of Trump Media & Technology Group, Devin will draw on his experience as former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and his key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, to provide me with independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community’s activities. Congratulations Devin!" Trump wrote.
Guarding against abuse
In a statement, Nunes said he is "honored" as he pledged to ensure "our intelligence agencies are functioning optimally without political influence."
"I aim to make certain that encroachments on Americans’ civil rights and abusive surveillance practices will be immediately exposed and stopped, while anyone ordering or engaging in such abuses will be quickly held to account," he said.
Nunes will remain as CEO at Truth Social while he takes on his new role helping Trump.
Ultimately, Trump's hopes of reforming the intelligence community will hinge on confirming his Cabinet.
Despite facing some initial backlash, Kash Patel appears to have secured enough Senate Republican support to lead the FBI. There are also indications that former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is overcoming initial skepticism among Republican senators despite attempts to paint her as a Russian asset.