The Senate voted on Thursday to confirm John Ratcliffe as the new CIA director under President Donald Trump. The confirmation vote resulted in a 74-25 majority in favor of Ratcliffe assuming the role.
Ratcliffe, a former representative from Texas, previously held the position of director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 during Trump's initial term in office. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ratcliffe emphasized his commitment to maintaining the integrity and non-partisanship of the intelligence produced under the Trump administration.
He assured the committee that he would not allow any political or personal biases to influence the judgment or quality of the intelligence reports generated by the agency. Ratcliffe explicitly stated that he would not impose any form of political litmus test on CIA employees, emphasizing a commitment to professionalism and objectivity within the agency.
Prior to his appointment as CIA director, Ratcliffe represented Texas' 4th Congressional District in the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020. During his tenure in Congress, Ratcliffe gained recognition for his staunch defense of President Trump, particularly during the House's first impeachment proceedings.
