Updated at 2:59 p.m. with details throughout.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that North Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe was no longer his pick to be America's next intelligence chief, citing the wave of negative coverage Ratcliffe had drawn in the five days since his nomination.

Multiple news reports attacked the Heath Republican's credentials, accusing him of embellishing his résumé and suggesting he lacked experience for the Cabinet post.

Trump, who had defended Ratcliffe just the day prior, said on Twitter that the congressman was "being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media." He said he counseled Ratcliffe that it wasn't worth "going through months of slander and libel."

Our great Republican Congressman John Ratcliffe is being treated very unfairly by the LameStream Media. 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.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2019

"I explained to John how miserable it would be for him and his family to deal with these people," the president wrote. "John has therefore decided to stay in Congress where he has done such an outstanding job representing the people of Texas, and our Country."

Soon after Trump's tweet, Ratcliffe took to social media himself to say that he was withdrawing from consideration.

"I do not wish for a national security and intelligence debate surrounding my confirmation, however untrue, to become a purely political and partisan issue," he said. "The country we all love deserves that it be treated as an American issue."

The denouement by tweet marked the end of a roller-coaster week for a Trump loyalist who rose from relative obscurity after the president tweeted Sunday night that he intended for Ratcliffe to succeed Dan Coats as national intelligence director.

While I am and will remain very grateful to the President for his intention to nominate me as Director of National Intelligence, I am withdrawing from consideration. — John Ratcliffe (@RepRatcliffe) August 2, 2019

The posting would have been a career pinnacle for Ratcliffe, 53, who won office in 2014 after defeating longtime Rockwall Rep. Ralph Hall in a GOP primary.

Ratcliffe had previously served as acting U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Texas after working as an anti-terrorism and national security coordinator in that office. He also spent eight years as the mayor of Heath, a small town on Lake Ray Hubbard.

A rising star on Capitol Hill, Ratcliffe was hailed by his allies as a stellar selection for intelligence chief.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican, called Ratcliffe a "worthy successor" to Coats. Former U.S. Attorney Matt Orwig, Ratcliffe's old boss, said the congressman was "imminently qualified." Rep. Bill Flores, R-Bryan, touted Ratcliffe as a "man of great intellect, character and integrity."

Critics weighed in quickly as well.

Democrats labeled Ratcliffe a partisan warrior, pointing to his performance just last week in a hearing where former special counsel Robert Mueller testified about his report on the Russia investigation. Mueller, he said, violated "every principle in the most sacred of traditions" of prosecutors during the probe.

"John Ratcliffe's entire claim to fame was yelling at Robert Mueller for 15 minutes," Texas Democratic Party chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said Friday. "Deeply unqualified and highly partisan, he would have fit right in with the Trump administration, but the results would have been terrible.”

Ratcliffe's résumé drew special attention from the intelligence community.

While he serves on the House intelligence and judiciary committees — well-regarded postings that could translate well to the spymaster job — he did not have the substantial national security and foreign affairs backgrounds of Coats and his predecessors.

Then came reports by ABC News and NBC News that Ratcliffe had embellished his role in the terrorist funding case U.S. vs. Holy Land Foundation, which resulted in officials at a Texas-based charity being found guilty of funneling money to Hamas.

At issue was whether Ratcliffe had been correct to say he "convicted individuals" involved in the case.

Jim Jacks, a lead prosecutor on the case, told The Dallas Morning News that Ratcliffe "wasn't part of the trial team or the investigative team." Asked if it was accurate to say that Ratcliffe "convicted individuals" in the case, he said, "No."

Ratcliffe spokeswoman Rachel Stephens clarified this week that while serving as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, he was appointed to investigate issues related to the mistrial that occurred the first time the case was tried.

Then came a Washington Post story reporting that Ratcliffe had been "disengaged" from the work of the House Intelligence Committee during his short tenure on the panel. Another Post story reported that Ratcliffe exaggerated his role in a prominent immigration sting.

Ratcliffe pushed back against the reports. Trump, meanwhile, appeared ready to stand by his pick.

"Congressman Ratcliffe is an outstanding man, and I'm sure that he'll be able to do very well," the president said Thursday when reporters asked about the avalanche of news reports. "He's just outstanding. Highly respected by everybody that knows him."

A battle nevertheless loomed in the Senate, where Democrats were champing at the bit and many key Republicans were offering only tepid support. And the hits appeared likely to keep coming.

Since Ratcliffe was not confirmed by the Senate — Trump had not even formally submitted Ratcliffe's nomination — he will retain his spot in Congress representing a deeply conservative and largely rural northeast Texas district.

He is unlikely to have any trouble winning reelection next year.

Ratcliffe stressed Friday that he was "humbled and honored that the president put his trust in me to lead our nation's intelligence operations and remain convinced that when confirmed, I would have done so with the objectivity, fairness and integrity that our intelligence agencies need and deserve."

His loss of the nomination topped off a trying week or so for Texas Republicans in Congress.

Rep. Pete Olson of Sugar Land announced last week that he's not seeking reelection. Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland did the same Wednesday. And Rep. Will Hurd of San Antonio revealed late Thursday that he too will be leaving Congress at the end of this term.