President-elect Donald Trump announced that his former Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, is his choice to lead the CIA, citing his credentials in fighting the “false Russian collusion” narrative.
Trump announced the proposed election with a statement on the day he announced he would appoint former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel.
Once again, Trump used language that suggests it was already a done deal, although the newly Republican Senate will have to confirm the pick.
“I am pleased to announce that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe will serve as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),” Trump said.
‘From exposing bogus Russian collusion as a Clinton campaign operation, to detecting the FBI’s abuse of civil liberties in the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for truth and honesty with the American public. When 51 intelligence officials lied about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, who was telling the truth to the American people.
Donald Trump says he will nominate former DNI John Ratcliffe to head CIA
Trump’s statement makes clear that the reason MAGA-aligned Ratcliffe was selected is in part because of his loyalty. Since entering the White House, Trump has criticized the Russia investigation, which began during the 2016 campaign as an investigation into contacts between Trump advisers who had ties to Russia.
He has long said the investigation hampered his administration from the beginning. He said in 2020 that he was “probably entitled to another four” year term because of “the way we were treated.”
Former special counsel Robert Mueller found that Russia did interfere in the campaign, but “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple efforts by individuals.” affiliated with Russia”. to help the Trump campaign.”
Trump has vowed to “demolish the deep state.” He cited as Ratcliffe’s first qualification his role in “exposing bogus Russian collusion as a Clinton campaign operation,” a sign of what he expects in the new role.
Trump brought up the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election
After listing the Russia investigation, foreign intelligence courts and Hunter Biden’s laptop, Trump said ‘for these and many other reasons’ he awarded Ratcliffe the National Security Medal in 2020.
“He will be a fearless fighter for the constitutional rights of all Americans, while ensuring the highest levels of national security and PEACE THROUGH FORTRESS,” Trump concluded.
Ratcliffe, while serving as DNI, told Fox News in late October 2020, days before the election, that there was “no intelligence to support” claims that Russian disinformation was behind stunning emails that emerged from the Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop.
The owner of a Wilmington repair shop would later come forward to say that Hunter left the machine to be repaired and that he discovered the information while working on it.
As with other recent elections, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Trump’s likely pick for the State Department, Trump has settled on officials with electoral experience and known reputations in Washington, choosing loyalists who are known in Washington.
Other names that have emerged for top security positions include Ric Grinell, who runs a combative X Account and was Trump’s U.S. ambassador to Germany, fired former national security adviser Mike Flynn and former security official Kash Patel.
Trump promised during the election campaign to “demolish the deep state.” He famously began his term with a speech in front of the CIA Memorial Wall in Langley, Virginia, where he gave a meandering speech in which he boasted about the size of the crowd at his inauguration.
Ratcliffe previously served in the House representing Texas’ 4th District.
