In President Donald Trump’s first year back in office, CIA Director John Ratcliffe has quietly but decisively reshaped the Central Intelligence Agency, refocusing it on aggressive mission execution and America First priorities.
Breitbart reports that senior administration officials describe Ratcliffe as Trump’s “quiet hammer” — tasked with high-risk missions, delivering results, and returning to the shadows. One early highlight came just 12 days after the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, when Ratcliffe traveled to Caracas to meet acting president Delcy Rodríguez, becoming the first Cabinet-level US official to visit Venezuela since Maduro’s removal.
Under Ratcliffe, the CIA has dismantled all DEI programs and restored a merit-based culture, reversing what critics say was years of politicization under previous leadership. The Agency has also returned to aggressive asset recruitment — a key metric Ratcliffe tracks closely — with numbers now rising after years of decline.
Transparency has been another hallmark. Ratcliffe declassified major intelligence documents, including records tied to the JFK and MLK assassinations, reviews of flawed 2016 intelligence assessments, and materials exposing the fabrication of the “Russia collusion” narrative. He also authorized the release of intelligence assessments pointing to a likely COVID lab leak origin.
