Trump-era intelligence chief Ratcliffe takes helm at CIA
John Ratcliffe, a former congressman and Director of National Intelligence, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This marks the second nomination by Donald Trump to receive Senate approval.
Seventy-five senators voted in favour of John Ratcliffe's confirmation, while 25 voted against. Ratcliffe, a former Republican congressman and prosecutor, previously served as the Director of National Intelligence, coordinating the work of all U.S. intelligence agencies, in the first administration of Donald Trump. At that time, he faced criticism from Democrats for politicising the office and lacking the necessary qualifications.
Ratcliffe’s nomination sparked controversy due to previous accusations of manipulating intelligence information. Trump, however, emphasised his contributions to revealing the so-called Russiagate as a campaign operation by Hillary Clinton. During the nomination announcement, he praised Ratcliffe for his role in uncovering the truth about Hunter Biden's laptop, despite suspicions of Russian involvement.
Ratcliffe is set to be the first person to have held both of the highest intelligence positions in the U.S. Trump described him as a "fearless fighter" for Americans' constitutional rights.
In January of this year, Ratcliffe, during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced that the agency he leads would concentrate on competition with China.
