Washington, United States

US President-elect Donald Trump on, Saturday (Dec 14), announced the appointment of another one of his loyalists to a prominent position within his incoming Trump 2.0 administration. He named Devin Nunes, the former Republican congressional representative from California and current CEO of Truth Social, as the White House's Intelligence Advisory Board chairman. 

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Trump also announced that Richard Grenell, a former US ambassador and acting director of national intelligence, would serve as his presidential envoy for special missions — including to global hotspots like Venezuela and North Korea.

Who is Devin Nunes?

Devin Nunes heads Trump's social media platform Truth Social and chaired the House Intelligence Committee during the start of the President-elect's first term.

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A long-time Trump ally, Nunes is known for his accusations against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of abusing its powers to spy on Trump allies.

In 2018, while serving as the chair of the intelligence committee, he spearheaded the release of a memo accusing the FBI of bias in its surveillance of a Trump campaign official who had extensive Russian contacts.

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Taking to Truth Social, Trump, while announcing the selection, praised Nunes for his "key role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax". He also said that Nunes' experience would ensure that he "provide me (Trump)" with "independent assessments of the effectiveness and propriety of the U.S. Intelligence Community's activities".

The President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), was established in the mid-20th century and is tasked with evaluating the effectiveness and propriety of US intelligence activities. Trump described the board as comprising "distinguished citizens from outside of the Federal Government," and said Nunes will continue to lead Truth Social while serving in his advisory capacity. 

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Who is Richard Grenell?

Richard Grenell is another outspoken Trump loyalist. He has been appointed as a presidential envoy to handle diplomatic challenges in politically sensitive regions. Known for his robust advocacy of Trump's policies, Grenell previously served as US ambassador to Germany and made history as the first openly LGBTQ cabinet member when he was appointed the acting director of national intelligence.

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In a post, Trump highlighted Grenell's expertise and said "Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea".

Grenell, a staunch defender of Trump, sought to overturn the Republican's 2020 loss to President Joe Biden and was present during Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in September. 

(With inputs from agencies)