US President-elect Donald Trump has announced former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe as his pick to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). This decision comes amid a series of appointments for key positions in Trump's administration, including Congressman Mike Waltz, who has been named National Security Advisor and will serve in the Cabinet. Trump praised Waltz as an expert on security threats from China, Russia, Iran, and global terrorism.
There was speculation that Indian-origin former Republican House staffer Kashyap 'Kash' Patel might be appointed as CIA chief, but Trump has ultimately selected Ratcliffe for the role.
Trump lauded Ratcliffe’s track record, saying, "From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI's abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public." He further added, "When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden's laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People."
Trump recalled awarding Ratcliffe the National Security Medal in 2020, emphasising, "For these and many other reasons, it was my great honour in 2020 to award John the National Security Medal, the nation's highest honour for distinguished achievement in the field of Intelligence and National Security."
Ratcliffe previously served as the sixth Director of National Intelligence, overseeing the US intelligence community and advising Trump during his first term. Notably, just weeks before the 2020 presidential election, he led an unusual late-night news conference alongside other officials, accusing Iran of conducting a campaign of intimidating emails aimed at voters in the US.
His tenure as DNI was marked by controversies, including his decision to declassify Russian intelligence alleging damaging information about Democrats from the 2016 election, despite acknowledging that the information was unverified. This move was criticised by Democrats as a partisan act politicising intelligence.
Ratcliffe also made headlines when he rejected claims from dozens of former intelligence officials who suggested that emails linked to Hunter Biden's laptop, left at a Delaware repair shop, resembled a Russian disinformation campaign. Ratcliffe countered, “The intelligence community doesn’t believe that because there’s no intelligence that supports that.”
Ratcliffe first entered Congress in 2014 and gained significant visibility in 2019 as a staunch defender of Trump during the first impeachment proceedings. As a member of Trump’s impeachment advisory team, he actively participated in questioning witnesses and dismissed the proceedings, saying, “This is the thinnest, fastest and weakest impeachment our country has ever seen.”
His forceful questioning of former special counsel Robert Mueller during the House Judiciary Committee hearing further solidified his reputation as a strong Trump ally.
Who is Kash Patel?
Kashyap Patel, whose name was speculated for the CIA role, has an extensive background in defense and intelligence. He was Chief of Staff to Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and gained Trump's favor through his work on the "Nunes Memo,” which criticised the Justice Department's surveillance practices. Patel later held prominent positions in the Trump administration, including Senior Director of the Counterterrorism Directorate at the National Security Council (NSC) and Principal Deputy to Acting DNI Richard Grenell.
(With inputs from Associated Press)