The US Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe as the new head of the CIA. During Donald Trump's first term, Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence. He thus became the first person to hold both positions.
The Senate approved the nomination on January 23 with 74 votes in favor and 25 against.
Ratcliffe is one of the few figures Trump chose to return for his second term. The former conservative congressman from Texas was a strong Trump supporter in 2019 when Trump said on social media that he wanted Ratcliffe to be director of national intelligence, the position responsible for overseeing all of the nation's 18 intelligence agencies.
Many Democrats objected at the time, saying Ratcliffe lacked experience and that his main qualification was fierce loyalty to Trump. Democrats raised similar concerns about his loyalty to the president over the law this time around.
Critics say Ratcliffe has embraced Trump's views on Russia and downplayed potential threats from that country. Ratcliffe has placed more emphasis on China - a position that is also in line with Trump - and is shared by the broader intelligence community. | BGNES
