If you’ve been scrolling through the news lately, you might have noticed the name John Ratcliffe popping up in a big way. He is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Honestly, keeping track of who’s who in D.C. can feel like a full-time job, but this one is a big deal because Ratcliffe is basically making history with his current tenure.
Most people just assume the CIA director is some career spy who spent twenty years in a trench coat. That's not always the case. John Ratcliffe was officially sworn in on January 23, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald Trump. He isn't exactly a newcomer to the spy world, but he didn't start there. Before he was the guy leading the world’s most famous intelligence agency, he was a congressman from Texas.
You’ve probably seen him in old clips from the first Trump administration. He actually served as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) back then. This is the "fun fact" that usually catches people off guard: Ratcliffe is the first person in American history to hold both the DNI and the CIA director roles.
The Road to Langley for John Ratcliffe
So, how did a guy from Heath, Texas, end up running the CIA?
It wasn't a straight line. Ratcliffe started out as a prosecutor. He was the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. During his time in Congress, representing Texas's 4th district, he made a name for himself as a fierce defender of the president. He was a key player during the first impeachment hearings.
When he was nominated for the CIA post in late 2024, it wasn't exactly a shocker to those inside the Beltway. He had the "loyalist" tag, sure, but he also had that DNI experience under his belt. During his confirmation hearing in January 2025, he told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the CIA needs to be "apolitical." He won that confirmation with a 74-25 vote. That's actually a pretty decent margin in today's polarized climate—about twenty Democrats crossed the aisle to vote for him.
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One of the big names who backed him was Senator Elissa Slotkin, who used to work at the CIA herself.
What exactly does the Director do?
Basically, the Director of the CIA (D/CIA) is the head of the agency and reports to the Director of National Intelligence. It’s a job that involves managing a massive budget, overseeing thousands of employees, and—most importantly—managing human intelligence (HUMINT).
While the DNI looks at the big picture across all 18 intelligence agencies, the CIA Director is the one deep in the weeds of clandestine operations.
Under Ratcliffe, the agency has already seen some shifts. Early in 2025, the CIA revised its stance on the origins of COVID-19, moving to a "low confidence" assessment in favor of the lab leak theory. He’s also been pushing for more transparency in certain areas while tightening the lid on others. It’s a delicate balance.
Who Was the Director of the CIA Before Ratcliffe?
Before Ratcliffe took over, the agency was led by William J. Burns (often called Bill Burns).
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Burns was a total contrast to Ratcliffe. He was a career diplomat—the first one to ever lead the agency. He’d served as the ambassador to Russia and Jordan and was widely respected for his "back channel" diplomacy skills. Under the Biden administration, Burns was even elevated to a Cabinet-level position in 2023.
When the administration changed in early 2025, there was a very brief transition period. Maura Burns (no relation to Bill) and Tom Sylvester both served as acting directors for just a few days until Ratcliffe was officially confirmed and sworn in by Vice President JD Vance.
Why the Current CIA Leadership Matters Right Now
The world is a mess. That's not news, but it makes the CIA's job harder. Ratcliffe has made it clear that his main focus is the People’s Republic of China.
In his statements throughout 2025 and into early 2026, he’s repeatedly emphasized that the "intelligence advantage" over China is the agency's number one priority. This has led to some internal restructuring. He even offered buyouts to certain employees early in his term to reshape the workforce.
There's also been some drama. In early 2025, a Signal group chat involving national security leaders was accidentally compromised. Ratcliffe was reportedly in that chat. It just goes to show that even the people at the very top of the security food chain aren't immune to "tech mishaps."
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Key Figures in the Current CIA Leadership (2026)
If you're looking at the top floor of the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, these are the names you need to know:
- John Ratcliffe: The Director.
- Michael Ellis: The Deputy Director. He was sworn in back in February 2025 and has a background with the NSA and the National Security Council. (And yes, he's a former Jeopardy! champion, which is a great trivia nugget).
- Dustin J. Gard-Weiss: The Executive Director (EXDIR). He took the job in August 2025 to handle the day-to-day operations and the budget.
- Joshua Simmons: The General Counsel. He was just confirmed by the Senate in early January 2026.
How to Stay Informed About CIA Changes
Intelligence leadership moves faster than you’d think. While the Director doesn't have a fixed term—they serve at the "pleasure of the president"—the shifts in policy happen almost monthly.
If you want to keep tabs on what the agency is actually doing (the stuff they're allowed to tell us, anyway), you should check out The Langley Files. It’s the CIA’s official podcast. It’s surprisingly accessible and gives a better "human" look at the agency than the movies do.
Also, keep an eye on the official CIA "News and Stories" page. They frequently post statements from Ratcliffe on everything from declassifying documents to mourning fallen officers.
To really understand who’s the director of the cia and what they're up to, look at the declassification trends. Ratcliffe has been very active in releasing documents related to the 2016 and 2020 elections, which tells you a lot about his priorities regarding "analytic objectivity."
Practical Next Steps
- Follow the Senate Intelligence Committee: This is where the real oversight happens. Their public hearings are the best way to see the Director answer tough questions.
- Read "The Back Channel": If you want to understand the previous era of the CIA, Bill Burns’ memoir is essentially a masterclass in modern statecraft.
- Check the Federal Register: For formal changes in agency structure or executive orders that affect how the CIA operates, this is the primary source.
The leadership at Langley sets the tone for how America sees the rest of the world. Whether you agree with the current direction or not, understanding the background of the people in those seats is the only way to make sense of the headlines.