John Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA.

The former Texas lawmaker and prosecutor was Trump's national intelligence director in his first term. He vowed to reject White House political pressure

During his confirmation hearing on January 15, Ratcliffe emphasized his commitment to merit-based hiring and promotion within the CIA, distancing himself from political influences

The new assessment came after John Ratcliffe was confirmed Thursday as the CIA director under the second White House administration of Donald Trump.

FILE - Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe waits to board Marine One with President Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick ...

No president has ever exercised this constitutional power, but "this remains a significant possibility in the eyes of the White House," one source said.

Ratcliffe, Trump’s former director of national intelligence, sought to reassure senators that he would remain apolitical in his role as CIA director.

The Senate Confirms John Ratcliffe to Lead the CIA ... William Burns, and Trump’s White House lists Ratcliffe as a Cabinet member. Trump and other Republicans have criticized the work of ...

John Ratcliffe will lead the Central Intelligence Agency under ... and he could face pressure from the White House to wield intelligence against the president’s opponents. His hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in January was far less ...

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe to serve as the next director of the CIA on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — Former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, vowed to make the agency more muscular while keeping its work apolitical during his nomination hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

Texans have been tapped to run the CIA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture.