If Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats resigns, President Trump should nominate retired Lt. Col. Jim Reese to replace him. The idea bears consideration in the context of two Coats problems.

First, the DNI represents an intelligence community that feels let down by Trump’s summit meeting performance with Russia President Vladimir Putin. As the interlocutor between the intelligence professionals and Trump, Coats may resign in protest, perhaps as early as this weekend. Second, it’s now clear that Coats lacks the president’s trust: on Thursday, the director had to be told by NBC News anchor Andrea Mitchell that Trump has invited Putin to a follow-up summit in Washington, D.C.