John Ratcliffe confirmed as next CIA director

John Ratcliffe was confirmed Thursday as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), becoming President Donald Trump's second cabinet nominee to secure the position.

Mr. Ratcliffe was confirmed by a vote of 74-25.

Ratcliffe's full confirmation by the Senate follows a 14-3 vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday night, advancing Ratcliffe's nomination to the Senate floor on Thursday.

Ratcliffe previously served as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 to January 2021 during President Trump's first term. At the time, Ratcliffe was under intense scrutiny over whether he was well-qualified for the role and whether his loyalty to Trump was clouding his judgment. Ratcliffe's final nomination was approved along party lines.

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Prior to his role as DNI, Mr. Ratcliffe served in the House of Representatives since 2015, representing Texas' 4th Congressional District. During Ratcliffe's tenure in Congress, he served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2019 until moving to the DNI the following year.

Mr. Ratcliffe's confirmation has received support from some Democrats, including Representative Mark Warner (Virginia), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, who voted in favor of Mr. Ratcliffe's confirmation. .

Murkowski, a moderate Republican, does not support President Trump's nomination of Hegseth as secretary of defense.

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to head the CIA, John Ratcliffe, speaks with former Attorney General John Ashcroft as he arrives to attend his Senate intelligence confirmation hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., January 15, 2025. . Ratcliffe is a former conservative congressman from Texas who served as director of national intelligence during President Trump's first term. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

During Ratcliffe's first confirmation hearing last week, when lawmakers pressed him on how he would handle his role as CIA director if confirmed, Ratcliffe criticized politicization and the management of central agency staff. He said he would eliminate “awakening.” Ratcliffe added that he plans to focus on the agency's approach to technology, saying he believes the agency is struggling to keep pace with the technological advances taking place in the private sector.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that people close to Mr. Ratcliffe said he would take a hawkish stance toward China.

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Ratcliffe's approval makes him the second Trump nominee to win Congressional approval, after Marco Rubio. The Republican-controlled Senate will work overtime to quickly approve President Trump's remaining nominees, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday evening on X (formerly Twitter). In his post, he claimed, “I work nights, weekends, and during breaks.'' ” until the process is complete.