John Ratcliffe is the CIA director under Donald Trump’s second term. John Kiriakou, a self-described “lifelong leftist,” says he probably disagrees with Ratcliffe on every issue but supports him anyway as a needed “bombthrower” to shake up the agency.[1] Kiriakou had predicted Ratcliffe would be confirmed as CIA director almost unanimously, noting Ratcliffe had briefly served as acting Director of National Intelligence in Trump’s first term and had previously been a Texas congressman on the armed services and intelligence committees, with no indication he intended to reform the CIA.[2]
Despite respecting Ratcliffe, Kiriakou doubts he has the wherewithal to meaningfully change the CIA from within — reasoning that if former director Bill Burns couldn’t do it, Ratcliffe likely can’t either.[3]