On November 13, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced the nomination of John Ratcliffe, a former congressman from Texas and former Director of National Intelligence, as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Ratcliffe, who served as DNI from 2020 to 2021, has been characterized by Trump as a 'warrior for Truth and Honesty.'
In a statement, Trump highlighted Ratcliffe's previous efforts to expose what he termed 'fake Russian collusion' and his stance during controversies surrounding Hunter Biden's laptop. Ratcliffe's appointment marks a significant return to the executive branch, where he will be the first individual to hold both the DNI and CIA director positions, pending Senate confirmation.
Additionally, Trump has made other key appointments in his Cabinet, including Rep. Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor. Reports indicate that Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Kristi Noem are candidates for the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, respectively, although these selections have yet to be formally announced. Trump has also appointed Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff and Stephen Miller as deputy chief overseeing policy.