The recent presidential election has ushered Donald Trump back into the White House, setting the stage for forming a new government.
As appointing key officials unfolds, the focus naturally turns to critical roles within the intelligence community—particularly the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Here, I offer a perspective from my 19 years of service in the CIA under four different presidents and eight CIA directors to ensure the next CIA director navigates and reforms the entrenched bureaucratic structures often called the “Deep State.”
John Ratcliffe has emerged as the selected appointee for the CIA directorship. His tenure as the Director of National Intelligence and Congressional member with oversight duties over the Intelligence Community demonstrated his willingness to confront the Intelligence Community and CIA’s abuses of power over the Russia investigation.
However, leading the CIA involves more than just the director; it requires a robust team to effect real change.
History has shown that even the most capable directors can become mere figureheads without solid support. The case of John A. McCone stepping into the shoes of Allen Welsh Dulles in the 1960s illustrates this vividly. Dulles’ personnel ruled the CIA under McCone, who was kept in the dark about CIA activities.