John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term, is Donald Trump's selection to guide the CIA in realizing his vision of America's premier spy agency
He is a former federal prosecutor and conservative member of Congress representing a district in Texas. He was a vocal defender of Trump during his first impeachment trial within the House of Representatives.
Trump first tapped Ratcliffe to be director of national intelligence in 2019 but quickly withdrew after lawmakers raised questions on his qualifications. He was ultimately confirmed by a closely divided Senate after Trump resubmitted the nomination.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe supervised and coordinated the work of greater than a dozen spy agencies. The office's tasks include, amongst other things, detecting and combating foreign influence in US politics.
During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats of politicizing intelligence when he declassified Russian intelligence that allegedly leaked details about Democrats through the 2016 election, although he acknowledged that the data may not have been true be correct.
If approved, Ratcliffe will succeed outgoing CIA Director William Burns.
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