President Trump’s pick to head the CIA reportedly offered to withdraw her nomination last week, ahead of a possibly contentious hearing on torture.
The Associated Press reported Sunday, citing “two senior administration officials,” that Gina Haspel had to be talked into continuing with the confirmation process after White House officials prodded her Friday for information about her CIA career.
The administration fears that Ms. Haspel’s nomination as CIA director could be torpedoed by the role she played in a notorious program under President George W. Bush to interrogate terrorism suspects using techniques such as waterboarding.
At a Friday afternoon meeting at the White House, Ms. Haspel told officials that she would be willing to step aside to avoid damage to the agency’s reputation.
A Senate intelligence panel hearing is scheduled for Wednesday and White House officials fear the worst.
Citing “four senior U.S. officials,” the Washington Post first reported the late-week doubts Sunday, saying her withdrawal was a real possibility as late as Saturday afternoon.
The withdrawal offer prompted several top White House officials, including Marc Short and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, to travel to CIA headquarters in Langley to talk Ms. Haspel into staying. Mr. Trump also got involved, the Post reported.
Opposition to Ms. Haspel centers around her 33-year career with the agency, much of it undercover. She oversaw a secret facility in Thailand where at least two al-Qaeda suspects were subjected to simulated drowning, one of them while she was facility chief. She also participated in the CIA’s destruction of nearly 100 videotapes of those interrogations several years later, although a special prosecutor declined to bring charges on the matter.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.