Trump expected to name current US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as acting intelligence chief

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is expected to name US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as the next acting director of national intelligence, according to two sources familiar with the decision. News of the pick comes as Trump faces a March 11 deadline to nominate a new director of national intelligence or name a new acting spy chief. Federal law prevents the current acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, from serving beyond that date. The New York Times was first to report the news. He is not expected to be nominated for the full time DNI position, which would require Senate confirmation. Grenell is a staunch Trump loyalist and his lack of experience is likely to unsettle the US intelligence community, which has endured repeated attacks from the President. "Some Republicans are outraged with job he has done as ambassador, there is no way he could get confirmed," a source familiar with the move said. Another Hill source said Grenell "couldn’t be confirmed" for the permanent position. The vote to confirm him as ambassador was 56-42 and it was contentious. The fact that he is seen as a Trump loyalist would have been a problem for confirmation, even for Republicans who acknowledge that in that job having the backbone to stand up to the President is seen as a positive. But the move allows Trump to fill the job for the time being with a loyalist while he figures out a long term solution. The formal announcement from the White House could come as soon as the end of this week, a source told CNN. Asked about the move, a department spokesperson would only offer a short statement and referred CNN to the White House. "Joe Maguire is honored to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence and to lead the women and men of the Intelligence Community until the White House names a new Acting DNI or a nominee is confirmed. We refer you to the White House for further questions about the status of the DNI role," the spokesperson said. There have been conversations taking place about Grenell leaving his post in Germany for some time, according to multiple sources. He has made clear he has wanted to leave his post in Germany for a while now to return to another administration job or the private sector, a person familiar told CNN. Before it became clear that he was going become the acting director of national intelligence, Grenell was itching to get back to Washington and there had been discussions about him joining the Trump campaign in some capacity, the sources said. Trump has long viewed Grenell’s responsibilities going well beyond Germany and gave him wide leeway in his duties. He’s frequently praised his television appearances and tweets, telling one adviser he was his "favorite ambassador." That hasn’t always gained him friends inside the White House national security apparatus and some officials have expressed concern that Grenell has freelanced on important national security matters. One Western official said Grenell’s style of diplomacy took "a lot of getting used to" when he arrived in Berlin. German officials have admitted it was rocky from the start, and the Western official said there was a general view that Grenell was seeking to advance his own standing in the administration while he was ambassador. One Trump adviser told CNN that despite being a loyalist, Grenell has his detractors inside the administration. This adviser described Grenell as "out of his league" for the acting director job, adding that some in the administration are "embarrassed by his behavior." Previous holders of the director of national intelligence job have served in the intelligence community, the US Senate and senior levels of the military. Grenell has a long history of sharp elbows and controversial statements both on TV and on social media. "Unreal," the adviser said in response to Grenell’s rise to the acting director position. The-CNN-Wire