By DAVID KLEPPER, Related Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, giving President Donald Trump the second member of his new Cupboard.
Ratcliffe was director of nationwide intelligence throughout Trump’s first time period and is the primary particular person to have held that place and the highest submit on the CIA, the nation’s premier spy company. The Texas Republican is a former federal prosecutor who emerged as a fierce Trump defender whereas serving as a congressman throughout Trump’s first impeachment.
The vote was 74-25.
At his Senate listening to final week, Ratcliffe stated the CIA should do higher in terms of utilizing expertise resembling synthetic intelligence to confront adversaries together with Russia and China. He stated the USA wanted to enhance its intelligence capabilities whereas additionally guaranteeing the safety of People’ civil rights.
Ratcliffe stated that if confirmed, he would push the CIA to do extra to harness applied sciences resembling AI and quantum computing whereas increasing use of human intelligence assortment.
“We’re not where we’re supposed to be,” Ratcliffe advised members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
John Ratcliffe, President-elect Donald Trump’s option to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Company, seems earlier than the Senate Intelligence Committee for his affirmation listening to, on the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/John McDonnell)
Democrats raised questions on Ratcliffe’s objectivity and whether or not his loyalty to Trump would immediate him to politicize his place and blind him to the duties of the job. Considerations from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., pressured the Senate’s Republican leaders to postpone Ratcliffe’s affirmation vote, which initially was scheduled for Tuesday.
Former Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was confirmed earlier this week as secretary of state, the primary member of Trump’s Cupboard.
Ratcliffe has stated he views China as America’s biggest geopolitical rival, and that Russia, Iran, North Korea and drug cartels, hacking gangs and terrorist organizations additionally pose challenges to nationwide safety.
He helps the International Intelligence Surveillance Act, a authorities spying program that enables authorities to gather with out warrant the communications of non-People exterior the nation. If these individuals are speaking with People, these conversations may be swept up, too, which has led to questions on violations of private rights.
Trump and different Republicans have criticized the work of the CIA and different spy businesses, saying they’ve targeted an excessive amount of on local weather change, workforce variety and different points.
The requires a broad overhaul have anxious some present and former intelligence officers who say the adjustments might make the nation much less protected.
Like different Trump nominees, Ratcliffe is a Trump loyalist. Apart from his work to defend Trump throughout his first impeachment proceedings, Ratcliffe additionally forcefully questioned former particular counsel Robert Mueller when he testified earlier than lawmakers about his investigation into Russian interference within the 2016 election.
As director of nationwide intelligence, Ratcliffe oversaw and coordinated the work of greater than a dozen spy businesses. Amongst different duties, the workplace directs efforts to detect and counter international efforts to affect U.S. politics.
Trump picked Ratcliffe to serve in that place in 2019, however he shortly withdrew from consideration after lawmakers raised questions on his {qualifications}. He was finally confirmed by a sharply divided Senate after Trump resubmitted the nomination.
In that job, Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats of politicizing intelligence when he declassified Russian intelligence that presupposed to reveal details about Democrats in the course of the 2016 election whilst he acknowledged the data won’t be correct.
Trump’s second-term nominee for director of nationwide intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, faces a harder street to affirmation. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, has confronted bipartisan criticism over previous feedback supportive of Russia and 2017 conferences with then-Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Initially Printed: January 23, 2025 at 2:30 PM EST
