US primary voters choose midterm candidates; Trump taps new acting director of national intelligence

During February 2020, voters across several U.S. states participated in primary elections to select candidates for both the presidential and congressional races. Early in the Democratic presidential primary, candidates like Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Joe Biden saw varying successes in contests held in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. Concurrently, Republican primaries also took place, with incumbent President Donald Trump easily securing victories in early states.

Amidst these electoral activities, former President Donald Trump appointed Richard Grenell as the acting Director of National Intelligence on February 19, 2020. Grenell, who was then the U.S. ambassador to Germany and a known loyalist, assumed the critical intelligence role without requiring Senate confirmation, a move that drew criticism regarding his lack of intelligence background and the president's increasing reliance on interim appointments.