President-elect Donald Trump Nominates John Ratcliffe as Director of National Intelligence

John Ratcliffe, a longtime confidant of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump who served as director of national intelligence at the end of his first term, has been named head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

“I’m excited for John to become the first individual to hold both of our country’s top intelligence positions.

In a statement announcing the selection, Trump declared, “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.”

If confirmed, Ratcliffe, who oversaw the country’s intelligence community during Trump’s first term, would be the first individual to serve as both the DNI and the CIA.

As director of national intelligence from May 2020 to January 2021, Ratcliffe—a strong Trump supporter—oversaw U.S. intelligence during a time of intense domestic unrest and major global difficulties.

The president-elect received national security advice from him during the 2024 campaign, and he recently co-chaired the Center for American Security, a think tank that supports Trump’s policy views.

Ratcliffe listed foreign electoral meddling, North Korea’s nuclear aspirations, and Iran’s military advancement as top concerns during his previous term as DNI.

Strong stances, especially on China and the Middle East, have characterized his record as DNI and could be a hint of his strategy if he takes over as CIA chief. Ratcliffe has been an outspoken opponent of the Biden administration’s Middle East strategy since leaving office, specifically focusing on how it handled the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He claimed in a June piece that President Biden’s threat to deny Israel arms because of its conduct in Gaza endangered a vital US ally and gave regional enemies more confidence.

Additionally, Ratcliffe cautioned that the administration’s stance toward Iran had been too soft.