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)
WASHINGTON, United States — 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 individual 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 the case of utilizing know-how comparable to 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 Individuals’ civil rights.
Ratcliffe stated that if confirmed, he would push the CIA to do extra to harness applied sciences comparable to AI and quantum computing whereas increasing use of human intelligence assortment.
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“We’re not the place we’re alleged to be,” Ratcliffe instructed members of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
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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., compelled 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 Overseas Intelligence Surveillance Act, a authorities spying program that enables authorities to gather with out warrant the communications of non-Individuals outdoors the nation. If these individuals are speaking with Individuals, these conversations may be swept up, too, which has led to questions on violations of non-public rights.
Trump and different Republicans have criticized the work of the CIA and different spy companies, saying they’ve centered an excessive amount of on local weather change, workforce range, and different points.
The requires a broad overhaul have anxious some present and former intelligence officers who say the adjustments may make the nation much less secure.
Like different Trump nominees, Ratcliffe is a Trump loyalist. Except for 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 companies. Amongst different duties, the workplace directs efforts to detect and counter overseas 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 in the end 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 at the same time as he acknowledged the data may not be correct.
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Trump’s second-term nominee for director of nationwide intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, faces a harder highway 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.