After weeks of uncertainty surrounding his top nominees, President-elect Donald Trump may secure the confirmation of one of his key aides on his first day in office. According to veteran Washington, D.C., journalist Jake Sherman, founder of Punchbowl News, the Senate Intelligence Committee is expected to consider the nomination of John Ratcliffe for director of the Central Intelligence Agency just five days before Trump is sworn in at noon on January 20. Sherman, who has been tracking developments on Capitol Hill and speaking with Senate sources, reported the news on Wednesday morning.
Republicans assumed control of the Senate on January 3, with 53 members of their caucus sworn in, and conservative Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) succeeded former Democratic chair Mark Warner (D-VA). According to Jake Sherman, under Cotton’s leadership, Ratcliffe – who previously served as Director of National Intelligence under Trump – is expected to easily navigate the confirmation hearing. Sherman further noted that Ratcliffe “could theoretically be a Day One confirmation.”
Both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have stressed the importance of having Trump’s national security team in place upon taking office, suggesting that Ratcliffe may not be the only security nominee to receive swift consideration. Pete Hegseth, Trump’s controversial pick to lead the U.S. Department of Defense, also appears to be on track for a smooth confirmation. On Sunday, CBS News reported that Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) informed President-elect Donald Trump that he believes Hegseth will secure the 51 votes needed for confirmation in the Senate—a significant turnaround for the nominee compared to the situation just weeks earlier.
A spokesman for the Republican leader did not confirm the news, telling the outlet instead, “Two things we don’t discuss publicly: Whip counts and private conversations with the president.” Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker seemed to confirm the news when he told CBS that Hegseth’s confirmation hearing is expected to occur on January 14th, giving him less than a week to prepare.
Ratcliffe, 59, served as President-elect Trump’s final Director of National Intelligence from 2020 to 2021, during a turbulent period that included the January 6th Capitol breach. He faced some criticism for the federal government’s failure to anticipate the chaos that unfolded that day. His tenure in the U.S. intelligence community has been marked by debates among Republican senators over whether Ratcliffe “politicizes” intelligence through disclosures and leaks. However, during his 2020 confirmation hearings, some Senate members presented “clear evidence that Ratcliffe isn’t playing politics” in his role as DNI.