President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon tweeted that he was nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) to be the director of national intelligence.

I am pleased to announce the nomination of @RepRatcliffe (Congressman John Ratcliffe) to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Would have completed process earlier, but John wanted to wait until after IG Report was finished. John is an outstanding man of great talent! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2020

Trump previously withdrew a plan to nominate Ratcliffe for the job in August, after several reports revealed that the Texas congressman had exaggerated his accomplishments as a federal prosecutor in Texas.

“Rather than going through months of slander and libel, I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people,” Trump tweeted at the time. “John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country.”

The re-upping of Ratcliffe — whose previous nomination was met with barely lukewarm support from Republicans — buys potentially months more time in office for the acting intelligence director, the outspoken Trump loyalist and ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell.

Grenell’s past foreign clients and aggressive public presence have clouded his short tenure as acting DNI.

The New York Times reported last week that Grenell had installed as his deputy Kash Patel, a former aide to Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) with a history of spreading conspiracy theories. Patel’s appointment — and news that Grenell had asked to see the intelligence used in the election interference briefing Maguire’s staff gave lawmakers this month — raised concerns that Grenell was using his new powers toward political ends.

CNN reported Tuesday that Trump was again considering Ratcliffe for the role.

Trump grew to like the Texas congressman for his vociferous defenses of the President during the Russia probe and recent impeachment investigation.

At a White House event celebrating his acquittal from impeachment charges earlier this month, Trump compared his future DNI pick to the fictional expert defense lawyer played by Raymond Burr a half century ago.

“If we’re doing a remake of ‘Perry Mason,’ a man I get, there is nobody in Hollywood like this,” Trump said.

Ratcliffe has scant experience in intelligence matters and, reportedly, not much interest in them.

Grenell, the acting intelligence director, followed Joseph Maguire in that role. Maguire resigned after Trump made it clear he would not nominate him to the role permanently.

Trump reportedly soured on Maguire after staff from the then-acting DNI’s office briefed lawmakers on Russia election interference efforts on Trump’s behalf in 2020, earlier this month.

This post has been updated.