Trump picks Ratcliffe as CIA director, Kash Patel misses out

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday he had selected former director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to serve as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Earlier, it was speculated that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, an Indian-origin former Republican House staffer, would be selected as the CIA chief. However, Trump has now declared Ratcliffe as the chief of the CIA.

Ratcliffe, a close ally of Trump, served as director of national intelligence at the end of his first term in 2020. Ratcliffe was confirmed as the nation’s top spy in May 2020, eight months before Trump left office, news agency Reuters reported.

A former member of the House of Representatives and US attorney for Texas, Ratcliffe didn’t receive any support from Senate Democrats during his confirmation.

“From exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign operation, to catching the FBI’s abuse of Civil Liberties at the FISA Court, John Ratcliffe has always been a warrior for Truth and Honesty with the American Public. 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.

“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions. He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” he added.

He said that it was “great honor” to award the National Security Medal to Ratcliffe in 2020, for distinguished achievement in the field of Intelligence and National Security..

As the director of National Intelligence, Ratcliffe was accused by Democrats and former intelligence officials of declassifying intelligence for use by Trump and his Republican allies to attack political opponents, including Joe Biden, then Trump’s rival for the presidency, a charge Ratcliffe’s office has denied.

News outlets, including Reuters, also reported on concerns that Ratcliffe exaggerated his counter-terrorism experience as a federal prosecutor in Texas.

WHO IS KASH PATEL?

Patel has served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defence and intelligence communities during Donald Trump’s first term as the president. He served as the former Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defence Christopher Miller.

He played a major role in drafting the “Nunes Memo,” a four-page report critical of the Justice Department’s methods in obtaining a surveillance warrant for a former Trump campaign volunteer, which impressed Trump.

Patel’s work on the Nunes Memo led to his appointment in key roles within the Trump administration. In February 2019, he joined the National Security Council (NSC) as a staffer and later became Senior Director of the Counterterrorism Directorate.

In February 2020, Patel moved to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as Principal Deputy to Acting Director Richard Grenell. He later became Chief of Staff to Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller.