The Senate has voted to confirm John Ratcliffe as President Donald Trump’s CIA director.
Lawmakers in the upper chamber voted 74 to 25 to confirm the new director, who previously served in the House representing Texas.
🚨BREAKING NEWS JUST ANNOUNCED:
— AJ Huber (@Huberton) January 23, 2025
John Ratcliffe confirmed as President Trump's CIA Director, 74-25
Congratulations John. pic.twitter.com/c8YZFTIHmq
Ratcliffe’s confirmation comes after Republicans hit a roadblock in getting his nomination to the floor, according to NBC News.
Republican leaders failed to achieve unanimous support to fast-track Ratcliffe's nomination to the floor earlier this week and had to jump through some procedural hoops.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he opposed Ratcliffe “not because of our political difference, which of course exists — but because I am deeply worried that Mr. Ratcliffe will be unable to stand up to people like Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, who are known to falsify intelligence. As CIA Director, Mr. Ratcliffe will have to make decisions based on intelligence and fact.”
Ratcliffe was instrumental in dismantling the Russia collusion hoax and the false narrative that the Hunter Biden laptop story was disinformation coming from the Kremlin.
Donald Trump’s newly appointed CIA Director, John Ratcliffe—formerly the Director of National Intelligence—was among the first to expose the Russia hoax and the cover-up surrounding the Hunter Biden laptop.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) November 12, 2024
Now, Ratcliffe is set to play a key role in declassifying some of the… pic.twitter.com/76fpNCmgVA
Ratcliffe was previously nominated for Director of National Intelligence in 2020, but later withdrew.
Ratcliffe, who earlier withdrew himself from consideration for that post amid accusations that he exaggerated his qualifications, eventually won Republican support for the nomination following his staunch defense of Trump during the former president’s first impeachment. At the time, Democrats expressed concern Ratcliffe would take political orders from Trump or misrepresent intelligence.
However, he was later renominated and confirmed. He received the National Security Medal and the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal while serving in this position.
However, this time around, he did not face the same level of opposition from lawmakers on either side of the aisle.
Ratcliffe began his career in politics in 2007 when he served as acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. He held that position until April 2008. During his tenure in this position, he focused on cases involving national security and terrorism.
Ratcliffe also served as mayor of Heath, Texas, from 2004 to 2012 before being elected as a House representative in 2015. During his stint in Congress, he served on the House Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Judiciary Committees. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, he authored several pieces of legislation, including the United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act and the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act.
After his term ended, Ratcliffe joined the Heritage Foundation as a visiting fellow and participated in the drafting of Project 2025.
His confirmation will likely spark speculation about releasing information about 9/11, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s associates.
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