John Ratcliffe will head up the Central Intelligence Agency in the Trump Administration, the president-elect announced Tuesday. Ratcliffe is a former Texas congressman and former Director of National Intelligence.
“When 51 intelligence officials were lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop, there was one, John Ratcliffe, telling the truth to the American People,” Trump said in a statement.
Ratcliffe is a co-chair of the Center for American Security at the America First Institute. He was the sixth director of National Intelligence under President Donald Trump and was the principal intelligence advisor to President Trump.
Ratcliffe successfully deployed covert and clandestine intelligence assets to remove numerous designated terrorist leaders from the around the world and shift the U.S. intelligence community priorities to better position the U.S. for success in the great power competition with China. He designated space as a priority intelligence domain by adding the U.S. Space Force as a member of the intelligence community.
In recognition of his national security achievements, President Trump awarded Ratcliffe the National Security Medal, the nation’s highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security.
Ratcliffe served in Congress for over five years as the U.S. representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas, was a leading policymaker on national security issues as a member of the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and was Cybersecurity chairman on the Homeland Security Committee. He lives in Heath, Texas, where he was mayor for eight years.
Pete Hegseth was nominated to run the Department of Defense.
“I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First,” Trump said. Hegseth has been cohosting Fox & Friends Weekend at Fox News, and has been a regular contributor since 2014.
Donald Trump also named former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as the incoming ambassador to Israel.
Other appointments induce William Joseph McGinley, who will serve as White House counsel and help Trump advance his America First agenda and will right agains the weaponization of law enforcement. McGinley served in the first Trump Administration as White House Cabinet Secretary.
Earlier in the day, he announced that Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida will be national security adviser. Rep. Elise Stefanik will be the ambassador to the United Nations and South Dakota Gov. Kristie Noem will lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Tom Homan is the president-elect’s new border czar.
