The final vote to ratify Ratcliffe as new CIA Director was 74-25; 21 Democrats voted along with every present Republican

A former federal prosecutor and Texas Republican, Ratcliffe gained prominence as a staunch defender of Trump as a congressman.

Ratcliffe, Trump’s former Director of National Intelligence, sought to reassure senators that he would remain apolitical in his role as CIA director.

Ratcliffe served as director of national intelligence during President Trump’s first term. ©2025 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All market data delayed 20 minutes.

A majority of the U.S. Senate on Thursday backed President Donald Trump's nominee John Ratcliffe, a former House of Representatives member who served as Director of National Intelligence during Trump's first term,

Senate Majority Leader John Thune had called out Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy for delaying the vote on a “key national security position.”

Republicans and Democrats praised the former lawmaker and intelligence official, who vowed not to use political loyalty tests at the CIA.

Ratcliffe, the former director of national intelligence in the final months of Trump’s first term, drew controversy over perceived politicization of intelligence assessments.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to lead the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

WASHINGTON — The Senate voted Thursday to confirm John Ratcliffe as the next CIA director under President Donald Trump, approving the second high-level appointment for the new administration.

The Senate is poised to confirm John Ratcliffe as CIA director on Thursday as Republicans work to approve officials to the top posts in his administration amid delays by Democrats.