John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, is Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA on his vision for America’s premier spy agency
He is a former federal prosecutor and conservative member of Congress representing a district in Texas. He was a fierce defender of Trump during his first impeachment proceedings in the House.
Below is the first portion of the confirmation hearing for CIA Director. The second portion was conducted as a closed session.
Trump first tapped Ratcliffe to serve as director of national intelligence in 2019, but he quickly withdrew from consideration after lawmakers raised questions about his qualifications. He was ultimately confirmed by a sharply divided Senate after Trump resubmitted the nomination.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe oversaw and coordinated the work of more than a dozen spy agencies. Among other duties, the office directs efforts to detect and counter foreign efforts to influence U.S. politics.
During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats of politicizing intelligence when he declassified Russian intelligence that purported to reveal information about Democrats during the 2016 election even as he acknowledged the information might not be accurate.
If approved, Ratcliffe will succeed outgoing CIA Director William Burns.
