Two red flags, that he wasn’t the first choice and that the White House applied pressure, makes it clear that something funky happened around this. Add in his inability to take the position for two months, and it’s obvious that they are trying to shove him through despite the national security system’s foot dragging. He obviously should not be in that position, and he won’t be staying long…even if he can’t be fired he’ll be constrained so he can’t do anything.
These Republican true believers are really the ones to worry about…Ellis did questionable things for Nunes, there’s no way he got hired without shenanigans by other true believers. The Biden administration is going to be hard pressed to find and work around all of the people who are burrowed into government, because this time most are unlikely to be the good kind who are competent and should be kept around. They are possible points of sabotage, and they need to be watched and removed the moment they step out of line.