President-elect Donald Trump has pulled from his first administration to appoint a director for the Central Intelligence Agency. Trump named former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe to the position.
Trump wrote:
From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public. When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.
For these and many other reasons, it was my great honor in 2020 to award John the National Security Medal, the Nation’s highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of Intelligence and National Security.
I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions. He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.
In May, Ratcliffe boldly posted this now prophetic photo on X.
January 21, 2025 workday. pic.twitter.com/I2OP4LQasM
— John Ratcliffe (@JohnRatcliffe) May 31, 2024
In October, Ratcliffe issued a sober warning about the challenges a new Trump administration would face after four years of Biden-Harris open borders and rampant crime.
Regrettably, this is not going to be an isolated, “one-off” threat. The Trump administration will be inheriting an incalculably large and dangerous network of terrorist threats embedded within the 10 million people allowed to illegally enter the U.S. by border czar Kamala Harris. https://t.co/P3hG9Yoyg2
— John Ratcliffe (@JohnRatcliffe) October 16, 2024
So, Ratcliffe has kept his finger on the pulse of national intelligence and policy without benefit of an administrative title.
one of John Ratcliffe’s best moments was demolishing Peter Strzok, the FBI head of counterintelligence who colluded to destroy Donald Trump
Critical to have someone like this at CIA director, to stop the next russiagate 2.0 hoax pic.twitter.com/pW5weJlMZA
— Gregg Re (@gregg_re) November 12, 2024
As DNI, Ratcliffe was the principal intelligence advisor to President Trump and helped coordinate the intelligence community operations for all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, primarily the CIA and the FBI. As the former executive leader of the United States Intelligence Community, a Member of the National Security Council, and a Member of the Homeland Security Council, Director Ratcliffe carefully monitored developments surrounding homeland security, cybersecurity, counterintelligence, counterproliferation, and counterterrorism.
Before serving as DNI, Ratcliffe served as the U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas. As a Congressman, Ratcliffe served on the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and was the Cybersecurity Chairman on the Homeland Security Committee. Before being elected to Congress, Ratcliffe served as a United States District Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
