Washington (CNN) Independent Sen. Angus King on Tuesday warned against the possible dismissal of Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats for contradicting President Donald Trump during a congressional hearing.

"If in fact Dan Coats is pushed out, which I deeply hope isn't the case because he's a great public servant, but if he is, the message is 'Don't give me the facts,'" King told CNN's John Berman on "New Day."

The comments from King, who represents Maine, came just a day after Chris Ruddy, a longtime Trump confidant, suggested the intelligence official may be fired by the President. Last month, Coats and other intelligence chiefs appeared to contradict Trump on national security issues in testimony to Congress. Sources told CNN that the President singled out Coats for criticism the next morning.

"I'm hearing from sources around the White House there's just general disappointment of the President with Director Coats. There's a feeling that maybe there needs to be a change of leadership in that position," Ruddy told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Monday.

Ruddy said that he doesn't know what Trump's plan is, but that he has "talked to various people, not him, that are very close in the White House with the security positions the President is taking."

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