Meet John Ratcliffe, CIA's new director confirmed by US Senate
John Ratcliffe was confirmed as CIA Director by the US Senate on January 23. Sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, Ratcliffe vowed to lead the agency with impartiality, focusing on delivering objective intelligence.
FollowThe US Senate approved John Ratcliffe as the new Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director on Thursday (Jan 23). He was officially sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, marking a significant appointment in President Donald Trump's administration. The former Director of National Intelligence garnered strong backing, receiving 74 votes in favor from both Republican and Democratic senators.
Pakistan lawmakers seek Elon Musk's apology over "anti-Pakistan propaganda" before Starlink approval
In his confirmation hearing last week, Ratcliffe pledged that under his leadership, the agency would deliver insightful, objective, and comprehensive analysis, ensuring that political or personal biases would not influence its judgment or findings.
Who is John Ratcliffe?
Ratcliffe was born on October 20, 1965, in Mount Prospect, Illinois, to parents who worked as educators. He grew up with five older siblings. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Government at the University of Notre Dame in 1987, and later obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1989.
After completing law school, Ratcliffe worked at a private law firm before moving on to the US Attorney's office in the Eastern District of Texas.
He later served as the mayor of Heath, Texas, for four consecutive two-year terms from 2004 to 2012.
In 2004, President George W. Bush appointed him as the chief of anti-terrorism and national security for the Eastern District of Texas, a position within the Department of Justice.
In 2007, Ratcliffe was appointed interim US Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. However, he returned to private practice in 2008 after Rebecca Gregory was confirmed by the Senate as the permanent US attorney.
In 2014, Ratcliffe won a seat in the US House of Representatives for Texas' 4th district, defeating the incumbent congressman Ralph Hall. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2018, representing the largely Republican district.
Ratcliffe also held the position of national intelligence director under President Trump from 2020 to 2021. Following the change in administration in 2021, he joined the Heritage Foundation as a visiting fellow, focusing on holding China accountable for the COVID-19 pandemic.
subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.
