US President-elect Donald Trump has named John Ratcliffe, a former congressman and Director of National Intelligence, as his Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, contrary to feverish speculation that the job was going to Kash Patel, an Indian-American.
Trump had pushed for Patel as acting director of the CIA in the dying months of this first term as President.
The Indian-American lawyer had made news for driving congressional opposition to investigation of Trump’s links to Russia as an aide to a top Republican lawmaker.
He was widely expected to get the CIA directorship, given his unstinting loyalty to the former president. He did not get it, but he might still be in the running for a stop position in the Trump administration. The position of the Director of National Intelligence is still open.
John Ratcliffe was the Director of Intelligence in the last Trump administration.
The Trump-Vance transition team said in an announcement, “I am pleased to announce that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
“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. When 51 Intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People.
“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.
“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions. He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
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