Senate Confirms Trump Loyalist Ratcliffe as Intelligence Chief
- Republican lawmaker to take post as Trump touts ‘Obamagate’
- Ratcliffe pledged ‘to speak truth to power’ on intelligence
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The Senate confirmed Representative John Ratcliffe as the nation’s spy chief on Thursday, overcoming criticism that he’s too much a loyalist to President Donald Trump and has too little experience in intelligence issues.
Ratcliffe, who was confirmed on a 49-44 vote, takes over as director of national intelligence at a pivotal time, as Trump seeks to pin blame on China for the global coronavirus outbreak while Russia and other nations conduct foreign influence operations to interfere in the current presidential campaign.