Trump provides allies Devin Nunes, Richard Grenell key roles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday named his social media platform CEO Devin Nunes to guide an intelligence advisory panel and stated his former intelligence chief Richard Grenell would run “particular missions” in locations similar to U.S. adversaries Venezuela and North Korea.

“Ric will work in a number of the hottest spots across the World, together with Venezuela and North Korea,” Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform. “Ric will proceed to struggle for Peace by means of Energy, and at all times put AMERICA FIRST.”

Trump didn’t identify every other particular international locations similar to Iran in his publish naming Grenell because the “Presidential Envoy for Particular Missions.”

Grenell beforehand served as performing director of nationwide intelligence throughout Trump’s 2017-2021 time period and was Trump’s ambassador to Germany and a particular presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.

Nunes, a former U.S. lawmaker who runs Trump’s Reality Social platform, will function chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, which presents impartial assessments of intelligence companies’ effectiveness and planning.

A longtime Trump defender who led the U.S. Home of Representatives Intelligence Committee throughout a part of Trump’s first White Home time period, Nunes will stay CEO whereas additionally serving on the White Home panel, Trump stated in a separate publish on Reality Social, which is a part of Trump Media & Expertise Group.

As committee chair, Nunes alleged that the FBI had conspired in opposition to Trump throughout its investigation of Russian interference within the 2016 presidential elections wherein Trump defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“Devin will draw on his expertise as former Chairman of the Home Intelligence Committee, and his key position in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, to supply me with impartial assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Neighborhood’s actions,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s nominee to guide the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel, served as an aide to Nunes within the U.S. Home of Representatives.

A 2017 U.S. intelligence report stated Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a classy affect marketing campaign to denigrate Clinton and assist Trump within the 2016 election marketing campaign. The Kremlin denied meddling and Trump denied any collusion with Russia.

Trump has vowed to pursue political adversaries and officers who investigated him when he begins his second time period on Jan. 20.

Trump on Saturday additionally named IBM (NYSE:IBM) govt and former U.S. Division of Homeland Safety official Troy Edgar to function the division’s deputy secretary. He additionally stated he would nominate businessmen Invoice White and Edward Walsh to function U.S. ambassadors to Belgium and Eire, respectively.