John Ratcliffe, CIA Director

John Ratcliffe currently serves as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), having been appointed by President Donald Trump as part of his second-term administration. Ratcliffe is the first individual in U.S. history to serve as both Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and CIA Director, making him a unique figure in modern American intelligence leadership.

A former U.S. Representative from Texas, Ratcliffe previously served as Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021 during Trump’s first term, where he played a key role in overseeing the U.S. intelligence community and pushing for greater transparency in intelligence reporting. As DNI, he was a vocal critic of alleged political bias within federal intelligence agencies and declassified several documents related to the FBI’s use of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the origins of the Russia investigation.

Prior to his time in national intelligence, Ratcliffe served three terms in Congress, where he was a member of the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. He also had an earlier career as a federal prosecutor, including serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, where he focused on national security and counterterrorism cases.

President Trump announced Ratcliffe’s appointment to lead the CIA in a social media post, stating: “John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public. I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions.”

Since assuming office as CIA Director, Ratcliffe has emphasized restoring trust in the intelligence community, increasing operational focus on China, Russia, and Iran, and prioritizing intelligence that directly serves U.S. national interests rather than political agendas. He has also advocated for stronger congressional oversight of intelligence operations and reforms to prevent abuse of surveillance authorities.

With a background that spans law, politics, and national security, Ratcliffe brings a clear-eyed, accountability-driven approach to his leadership of the CIA at a time of mounting global threats and shifting geopolitical dynamics.