Sources Say Acting DNI Threatened to Resign

Joseph Maguire was just named the acting Director of National Intelligence last month, and multiple sources tell the Washington Post he threatened to step down from the position if he's not allowed to speak freely when he testifies before Congress on Thursday regarding the whistleblower complaint made against President Trump. The report, per the Post, illustrates the "extraordinary tensions" between the White House and the country's top intelligence official, but both Maguire and the White House deny it. "At no time have I considered resigning my position since assuming this role on Aug. 16, 2019," Maguire said in a statement. "I have never quit anything in my life, and I am not going to start now. I am committed to leading the Intelligence Community to address the diverse and complex threats facing our nation."

White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham added in a tweet, "This is actually not true. And we would have gone on the record to say that if the @washingtonpost had given us more than 6 minutes (literally) to respond." Maguire has been caught in the middle of the controversy, with Democrats accusing him of blocking the release of the complaint to Congress, and the Post says he's not happy about being placed in such an "untenable position." (The Wall Street Journal took a look at Maguire in an extensive piece Tuesday.) In a Tuesday night statement, he said, "I want to make clear that I have upheld my responsibility to follow the law every step of the way. I am committed to protecting whistleblowers and ensuring every complaint is handled appropriately. I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and Congress to find a resolution regarding this important matter." (More Joseph Maguire stories.)