Senate Confirms John Ratcliffe as CIA Director, Marking Key Trump Administration Appointment
The confirmation of Ratcliffe is the second high-profile approval for President Trump’s cabinet, following a bipartisan vote.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, marking the second major appointment for the Trump administration. The confirmation vote passed with a 74-25 majority, with 21 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas, previously served as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence for the last eight months of his first term. Following the Senate’s confirmation vote, Ratcliffe was sworn in by Vice President JD Vance, according to a statement released by the CIA.
Despite the majority vote, Republican leaders were unable to fast-track Ratcliffe’s nomination, encountering procedural hurdles to bring the nomination to the floor. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed opposition to Ratcliffe, citing concerns about his ability to withstand political pressure, particularly from figures like former President Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence.
“I am deeply worried that Mr. Ratcliffe will be unable to stand up to people like Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, who are known to falsify intelligence,” Schumer stated. “As CIA Director, Mr. Ratcliffe will have to make decisions based on intelligence and fact.”
In response, Ratcliffe reassured senators during his confirmation hearing that he would keep political influence out of his decisions regarding intelligence, emphasizing that loyalty tests would not influence hiring or firing decisions within the CIA.
Ratcliffe’s confirmation follows his narrow approval as Trump’s national intelligence director in May 2020, after a 49-44 Senate vote. His initial confirmation faced opposition from Democrats due to concerns about his qualifications and allegations that he had exaggerated his national security credentials.
The Senate’s swift confirmation of Marco Rubio as Secretary of State earlier this week, following President Trump’s inauguration, further demonstrates the momentum of Trump’s cabinet appointments. However, future nominees may face more challenging confirmation processes, as individual senators can delay votes on controversial candidates.
Ratcliffe’s confirmation is a significant step in the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to fill key positions, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) scheduling votes on several more nominees, including Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense and Kristi Noem for Secretary of Homeland Security. Trump’s nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, is expected to be next in line.
Thune has indicated that he will push to keep the Senate in session over the weekend if necessary to ensure timely confirmations, accusing Democrats of “stalling” Trump’s appointments.
“If Democrats want to spend their nights and weekends taking votes on uncontroversial nominees, we can do it that way," Thune said. "But one way or the other, these nominees will be confirmed.”