Senate approves John Ratcliffe as new CIA head

iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-

John Ratcliffe has officially been confirmed as the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) after the Senate approved his appointment. This marks the second significant leadership change in the second Trump administration, following the earlier confirmation of Marco Rubio as the U.S. Secretary of State earlier this week.

The White House confirmed Ratcliffe’s confirmation through a post on X, stating, “@JohnRatcliffe ‘s confirmation as Director of the CIA marks a significant step in advancing President Trump’s vision to restore America’s strength on the world stage.”

The vote saw 74 senators in favor of Ratcliffe’s appointment, while 25 voted against him, with one senator abstaining. Only a simple majority was required, but the outcome showed a strong support margin of 49 votes. This vote took place during the first session of the 119th Congress.

Before this role, Ratcliffe served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, making him the first person to hold both the DNI and CIA director positions. During his tenure as DNI, Ratcliffe shifted the focus of the U.S. Intelligence Community to gain a strategic advantage over China, while overseeing operations to eliminate key terrorist leaders.

One of his landmark decisions as DNI was elevating space as a critical intelligence priority, which led to the inclusion of the U.S. Space Force as the 18th member of the Intelligence Community. He also received the National Security Medal, the nation’s highest honor for distinguished achievement in intelligence and national security, according to the White House.

Before taking on national security roles, Ratcliffe served for over five years as the U.S. Representative for Texas’s 4th Congressional District. During his time in Congress, he was an influential policymaker on national security issues and a member of the House Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Judiciary Committees.

(Photo courtesy: Screengrab from X)