From the Wiregrass to the White House, Cliff Sims has paved an impressive way to his current vantage over U.S. national security issues — in particular, China.
On Monday, it was announced U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson appointed Sims as a Commissioner to the United States–China Economic and Security Review Commission, a group that advises Congress on the national security and economic implications between the United States and China.
“Sims is viewed as one of Trumpworld’s most vocal and aggressive China hawks — signaling the speaker plans to pursue a hawkish China policy,” Axios reports.
As Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications under Director John Ratcliffe and President Trump, Sims was part of a generational shift of focus for the Intelligence Community to the threat increasingly posed by China.
During that time, media and message was critical to secure a whole-of-government approach to sharpening the edge toward China. Sims supported Ratcliffe’s mission to that end — which saw an increase in China-focused intel spending of 20 percent — as well as the syndication of a rare op-ed by the sitting DNI, published in the Wall Street Journal, making the case that “The intelligence is clear: Beijing intends to dominate the U.S. and the rest of the planet economically, militarily and technologically.”
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“Cliff played an integral role in our efforts to shift the Intelligence Community’s focus toward an adversarial China,” Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe says.
“I commend Speaker Johnson for this appointment and for sending a clear message that President Trump’s approach to confronting China is the surest way to secure America’s future security and prosperity.”
Sims’ appointment to the commission is being recognized as a politically-savvy move for Speaker Mike Johnson to appoint a close Trump ally — whose appointment was championed behind the scenes by both top Trump national security officials and influential conservatives with whom Johnson is working to build bridges.
Officials advocating for Mr. Sims’s appointment included former DNI John Ratcliffe, Trump’s former national security advisor Robert O’Brien, U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, Jason Smith (R-MO) and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
A native of Enterprise, and graduate of the University of Alabama, Cliff Sims has also had a successful life in the business world, starting a slate of companies, including Alabama-based Telegraph Creative and Yellowhammer News. Sims remains closely involved with Donald Trump’s inevitable bid for the 2024 Republican Presidential nomination.
Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
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