Trump picks John Ratcliffe to be CIA director

A file image of John Ratcliffe, who has been picked as Director of CIA by President-elect Donald Trump
| Photo Credit: AP

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday (November 12, 2024) that he had picked former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. Ratcliffe, a close ally of Mr. Trump, served as director of national intelligence at the end of his first term.

Mr. Ratcliffe was confirmed as the nation’s top spy in May 2020, eight months before Mr. Trump left office. A former member of the House of Representatives and U.S. attorney for Texas, he received no support from Senate Democrats during his confirmation.

As DNI, Mr. Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats and former intelligence officials of declassifying intelligence for use by Mr. Trump and his Republican allies to attack political opponents, including Joe Biden, then Mr. Trump’s rival for the presidency, a charge Mr. Ratcliffe’s office has denied.

News outlets, including Reuters, also reported on concerns that Mr. Ratcliffe exaggerated his counter-terrorism experience as a federal prosecutor in Texas.