Trump names former intelligence chief to lead CIA
Archive photo: John Ratcliffe and Donald Trump in 2017 (wikipedia.org)
Donald Trump, the 47th president-elect of the United States, announced he is nominating John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ratcliffe previously served as Director of National Intelligence under Trump’s administration and was a former federal prosecutor, according to ABC News.
In his Truth Social post, Trump expressed, "I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation's highest Intelligence positions."
Ratcliffe has yet to comment on the prospective appointment, and his nomination will need to be confirmed by the Senate.
What is known about John Ratcliffe
A Republican, Ratcliffe served three terms in the US Congress before joining Trump’s first administration in mid-2020. He was initially elected to Congress in 2014 and held positions on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Judiciary Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the Homeland Security Committee.
Trump first nominated Ratcliffe for the position in 2019, though Ratcliffe later withdrew amid bipartisan concerns over his qualifications for the role.
Nonetheless, he was confirmed the following year after Trump re-nominated him to lead US intelligence.
Ratcliffe gained Trump’s favor by vigorously defending him during his impeachment hearings. He was subsequently included in Trump’s legal defense team for the first impeachment.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe focused on space issues and on China, which he labeled as America’s primary threat.
In 2023, Ratcliffe became a visiting scholar at the conservative Heritage Foundation, which spearheaded the controversial Project 2025, a policy initiative reportedly designed for Trump’s potential second term. Ratcliffe was listed among its 267 participants.
Before his election to Congress, the Bush administration appointed him in 2004 as the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
In 2023, Trump’s legal team attempted to block Ratcliffe from testifying before a federal grand jury as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into alleged election interference following the 2020 presidential election. Ratcliffe ultimately testified before the grand jury in April 2023.
Additionally, Ratcliffe John Ratcliffe was one of the sharpest critics of former Attorney General Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Personnel appointments in Trump’s team
Earlier today, it was reported that Donald Trump made several announcements regarding appointments to his potential future administration team. Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and military veteran, for the position of Secretary of Defense.
In addition, Trump has appointed Elon Musk as the head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. The prominent businessman will work in this department alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.
Furthermore, Trump has officially named Republican Representative Mike Waltz as his National Security Advisor.
It was also reported earlier that Kristi Noem will be appointed as the new Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security, who is a vocal opponent of US aid to Ukraine.
