Trump picks former U.S. Senator Coats as director of national intelligence

President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday picked former U.S. Senator Dan Coats as his director of national intelligence, two senior transition officials said, as he puts his stamp on a U.S. intelligence community that he frequently criticizes. The official announcement was expected this week as Trump makes decisions on some of the remaining major positions he must fill as he prepares to take over the White House on Jan. 20. Coats, 73, is a traditional conservative from Indiana who just finished a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.