James Clapper, US intelligence chief, resigns

United States’ top spymaster James Clapper has resigned, the first top level official in the Obama administration to quit, as the Donald Trump administration readies to take office.

“I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good,” Clapper told members of the House Intelligence Committee during a Congressional hearing on Thursday.

“I have 64 days left and I would have a hard time with my wife for anything past that,” said Clapper.

His resignation was expected as he had earlier expressed his intention to leave the position at the end of the second and last term of outgoing US President Barack Obama.

Republican Trump, who won the November 8 presidential election, would be sworn in as the 45th US President on January 20, 2017.

Clapper’s job was to coordinate the work of 17 different agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.