Trump selects former Sen. Coats for top intelligence post

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, a role that would thrust him into the center of the intelligence community Trump has publicly challenged, a person with knowledge of the decision said Thursday.

If confirmed by the Senate, he would oversee an agency created after 9/11 to improve coordination of U.S. spy and law enforcement agencies.

The person with knowledge of Trump's decision was not authorized to discuss the pick publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Since winning the election, Trump has questioned intelligence officials' assessments that Russia interfered with the election on his behalf.