John Ratcliffe
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
John Lee Ratcliffe was born in October 1965 in Mount Prospect, Illinois. He earned an undergraduate degree in government and international studies from the University of Notre Dame and received his Juris Doctor at the Southern Methodist University School of Law. He engaged in the private practice of law.
Ratcliffe was elected to four consecutive terms as Mayor of Heath, Texas, a small community outside Dallas. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to be Chief of Anti-Terrorism and National Security for the Eastern District of Texas within the Department of Justice. Several years later, he was named interim U.S. Attorney for that district. After service there, he returned to private practice.
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives serving from January 2015 to May 2020 when he was confirmed by the Senate to be President Trump’s Director of National Intelligence. He became a fellow at the Heritage Foundation during President Biden’s term.
President Trump nominated Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency after winning his second presidential term in November 2024. The Senate confirmed him and he was sworn into office in January 2025.
Ratcliffe is married to Michele and they have two daughters. He is a Christian.
In the News…
Incoming Director John Ratcliffe announced changes in the operations of the Central Intelligence Agency.
“There will be changes during my tenure as director,” Director Ratcliffe stated. He is reviewing top-level staff in the agency.
The new director wrote, “We will collect intelligence in every corner of the globe, no matter how dark or difficult. We will produce insightful, objective, all-source analysis, never allowing political or personal biases to cloud our judgment or infect our products.”
“And we will conduct covert action at the direction of the President, going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do,” he continued. “Our shared mission will bind us together.”
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Director Ratcliffe today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable John Ratcliffe, Director
Central Intelligence Agency
1000 Colonial Farm Rd
McLean, Virginia 22101
