WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday will question President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the CIA over his vision for America’s top spy agency.
John Ratcliffe, who served as director of national intelligence during Trump’s first term, is a former federal prosecutor and conservative member of Congress who represents a district in Texas. He was a fierce defender of Trump during his first impeachment trial in the House of Representatives.
His hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee is part of a weeklong marathon as the Republican-led Senate races to have some of Trump’s nominees ready to be confirmed by the full Senate as soon as the Inauguration Day takes place on Monday.
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If approved, Ratcliffe will succeed outgoing CIA Director William Burns.
Trump first tapped Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence in 2019, but he quickly withdrew from consideration after lawmakers raised questions about his qualifications. He was ultimately confirmed by a sharply divided Senate after Trump resubmitted the nomination.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe oversaw and coordinated the work of more than a dozen spy agencies. Among other duties, the agency leads efforts to detect and counter foreign attempts to influence U.S. policy.
That experience is expected to boost Ratcliffe’s chances in the Senate this year, especially compared to Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Gabbard, a former congressman from Hawaii, has faced bipartisan criticism over past comments supporting Russia and 2017 meetings with former Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Like other Trump nominees, Ratcliffe is a Trump loyalist. In addition to his work defending Trump during his first impeachment trial, Ratcliffe also vigorously questioned former special counsel Robert Mueller as he testified before lawmakers about his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
As director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats of politicizing intelligence when he released Russian intelligence that claimed to reveal information about Democrats during the 2016 election, even as he acknowledged the information may not have been accurate.
