The US Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), solidifying his position as the second Cabinet member of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ratcliffe, a Texas Republican and former federal prosecutor, previously served as the director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term. He now holds the distinction of being the first person to lead both the national intelligence office and the CIA.
The Senate voted 74-25 in favor of Ratcliffe’s confirmation, with 20 Democrats and one independent joining Republicans to support Trump’s nomination.
At his confirmation hearing, Ratcliffe shared his vision for the CIA, emphasizing the need for a more aggressive approach to intelligence gathering. “We will collect intelligence, especially human intelligence, in every corner of the globe no matter how dark or difficult,” Ratcliffe declared. “We will conduct covert actions at the direction of the president, going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do.”
While not providing specific details on the US intelligence agenda, Ratcliffe suggested that the CIA should better leverage advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing to counter adversaries like Russia and China. “We’re not where we’re supposed to be,” Ratcliffe acknowledged to the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Ratcliffe has been vocal about his view of China as the US’s greatest geopolitical rival and has also pointed to Russia, Iran, North Korea, drug cartels, hacking groups, and terrorist organizations as major threats to national security. Despite some Democratic concerns regarding his ability to lead the CIA impartially, Ratcliffe reassured the Senate by stating, “I will lead the CIA free of political and personal bias.”
Critics of the CIA’s past focus on issues like climate change and diversity have voiced concerns that the agency’s priorities may shift under Ratcliffe’s leadership. These changes have sparked unease among some current and former intelligence officials, who worry they could undermine national security.
