WASHINGTON — Georgia's Rep. Doug Collins may have reason not to aim for a U.S. Senate seat following an on-the-record comment by President Donald Trump on Thursday.
On the runway near Air Force One, Trump told reporters that the Gainesville-based U.S. representative - and one of his most staunch defenders - was among the candidates for director of National Intelligence.
NBC reports President Trump pushed aside his last acting director of national intelligence, Joseph Maguire, because he was angry that lawmakers were briefed about Russian's plan to interfere in the 2020 election to help Trump. The news agency said the information came from a former intelligence official who was briefed on the matter.
He has since been replaced by a new acting director, Richard Grenell, who currently serves as the U.S. ambassador to Germany and is described by the Associated Press as a loyal and outspoken Trump supporter.
Specifically, Collins would and other candidates are being sought to hold the position as a permanent replacement.
Collins, having previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives, has been an elected public official since 2007. During his time in the U.S. House, he has also served on multiple committees and was named Ranking Member of the Committee on Judiciary Members.
Doug Collins
He was also the top GOP House member on President Trump's defense team during the impeachment process.
However, his next goal of taking a Georgia seat for U.S. Senate has led to some infighting in the party after Governor Brian Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler to the seat.
Loeffler filled the seat vacated by longtime Senator Johnny Isakson. Collins, however, was reportedly the president's preferred choice to fill the position.
Right now, Collins is running for Loeffler's seat in the Nov. 3 election. But taking the National Intelligence position would eliminate him from the race and leave Loeffler to face any other challengers.
According to the office's own description, the Director of National Intelligence "serves as the head of the U.S. Intelligence Community, overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program. He also acts as the principal adviser to the president, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to national security.
President Trump's pick would still have to earn the consent of a Republican-controlled Senate, however.
On Wednesday, Collins joined Rep. Devin Nunes in a letter to Chairman Jerry Nadler demanding Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act reforms to "ensure the intelligence community is deterred from ever again using their power for political purposes."
Collins said that FISA must reform surveillance abuse "in order to restore the American people's confidence in our intelligence community."
"No candidate or campaign should ever be spied on like @realDonaldTrump was in 2016," Collins wrote on Twitter.