Trump taps Ratcliffe for CIA chief, criticises 'Russiagate'
Donald Trump has announced his intention to nominate John Ratcliffe, a former Congressman and Director of National Intelligence, as the new head of the Central Intelligence Agency.
During the announcement of Ratcliffe's nomination, the president-elect emphasised his achievements regarding Russiagate. Trump claimed that Ratcliffe was "exposing fake Russian collusion to be a Clinton campaign."
Trump stated that former Republican Congressman Ratcliffe was the only individual who was "telling the truth to the American People" about the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop during the 2020 election, despite the suspicions of Russian involvement in the publication of those materials.
"I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both our Nation's highest Intelligence positions. He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Level of National Security and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH," wrote Trump.
During his previous tenure as the U.S. intelligence coordinator, Ratcliffe faced accusations of politicising the agency's activities and manipulating intelligence information.
This included interpretations of the Russian intelligence reports from 2016, which suggested Hillary Clinton allegedly attempted to divert attention from the Democratic email leak by accusing Trump of ties with Russia.
Trump announced nominations for Middle East envoy
Shortly before announcing Ratcliffe's nomination, Trump revealed that businessman Steven Witkoff would be his special envoy for the Middle East.
Steven Witkoff, a businessman involved in the real estate sector, acknowledges a long-standing friendship with Trump. He is also one of the prominent donors to his campaign, encouraging other Jewish and pro-Israel investors to support the politician. During public appearances, Witkoff has repeatedly praised the actions of Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Witkoff will take over duties from Brett McGurk, who was responsible for Middle East strategy under four previous administrations and focused on combating ISIS during Trump's presidency.
Additionally, the president-elect announced his decision to nominate Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, like Witkoff, holds solid pro-Israel views, opposing the creation of a Palestinian state and supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
