WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump has appointed his former director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Before being appointed by Trump, Ratcliffe was a Republican House member from Texas. From his seats on the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees, Ratcliffe has been a strong defender of Trump. Some political observers considered Ratcliffe a contender to serve as the next attorney general.

“I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our nation’s top intelligence positions,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday, which also included attacks on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and former intelligence officials through the now infamous Hunter Biden laptop. .

The announcement comes as Trump fills his Cabinet and other top posts in preparation for his second term, which begins on January 20.

Democrats accused Ratcliffe of politicizing his intelligence post by contradicting career officials about Russian election interference on Trump’s behalf. But he had assured senators during his confirmation hearing that he would not “shape” the intelligence community’s assessments to fit the president’s views or policies.

“I will deliver the unvarnished truth,” Ratcliffe said in May 2020.

Ratcliffe served as U.S. attorney for East Texas in 2007 and 2008. He served in the House of Representatives for five years before Trump appointed him director of national intelligence during his final year in office.

Between the Trump administrations, Ratcliff was co-chairman of the Center for American Security, a think tank on security issues. The center is part of the America First Policy Institute, which served as an advocacy platform for numerous alumni of Trump’s first administration.

Ratfcliffe earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame and a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump appoints former intelligence chief John Ratcliffe as CIA director