In a dramatic late-night announcement that could reshape America’s intelligence landscape, President-elect Donald Trump has named John Ratcliffe as his choice for CIA director.
The move marks a potential historic appointment in the nation’s intelligence community.
Trump revealed his selection through a message on November 12, positioning Ratcliffe to potentially become the first individual to have served in both of America’s top intelligence roles.
The announcement came amid a series of evening appointments from the President-elect, including tapping Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to spearhead a massive government restructuring project.
“John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public,” Trump declared in his statement, emphasizing Ratcliffe’s commitment to constitutional rights while maintaining national security priorities.
Ratcliffe’s extensive background in national security and law enforcement spans multiple decades, ZeroHedge reported.
A Notre Dame graduate with a law degree from Southern Methodist University, he previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas and held the position of mayor in Heath, Texas, a Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan community, from 2004 to 2012.
The appointment marks a significant return to the intelligence community for Ratcliffe, who served as Director of National Intelligence during Trump’s first term.
“Ratcliffe at CIA will be incredible,” conservative host Ben Shapiro said of Trump’s decision.
“There are 10/10 picks from Trump,” he added, offering praise for the president-elect’s other picks including Musk and Ramaswamy.
ZeroHedge noted that Ratcliffe’s congressional career included key positions on both the House Intelligence Committee and House Judiciary Committee, where he established himself as a strong supporter of Trump’s policies.
The Epoch Times highlighted that Ratcliffe’s path to intelligence leadership hasn’t been without hurdles, however.
In 2019, Trump initially considered him for the Director of National Intelligence position but withdrew the nomination.
The following year, amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump successfully nominated him for the role.
Before his federal service, Ratcliffe built his career as an attorney, specializing in anti-terrorism and national security matters as chief for Eastern Texas.
His Illinois roots and subsequent Texas career demonstrate a broad national perspective that could influence his approach to intelligence operations.
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