Here's NSA's own history of the confirmation process.[1] NSA director is a Senate-confirmed position. Trump can't just put someone into the job. This document

Here's NSA's own history of the confirmation process.[1] NSA director is a Senate-confirmed position. Trump can't just put someone into the job. This document is from 2022, so it goes up to the NSA director appointed during Trump's first term, and discusses the politics. So far, the NSA director has always been a military general officer, but that's not a legal requirement. The way it has worked in the past is that the uniformed services have recommended candidates for the job, and the Secretary of Defense and the President picked one. There's no history of anyone unqualified going into that job. Worth reading. [1] https://media.defense.gov/2022/Dec/01/2003123773/-1/-1/0/NSA%20DIRECTORS%20THE%20SELECTION%20AND%20CONFIRMATION%20PROCESS.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2022/Dec/01/2003123773/-1/-1/0/NSA...