The US Senate has confirmed John Ratcliffe as director of national intelligence, 10 months after Donald Trump first put the Texas congressman forward for the top job.
The Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Mr Ratcliffe’s nomination on Thursday by 49 votes for to 44 against, along party lines. Mr Ratcliffe, a Republican congressman and close ally of the president, replaces Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany who has also been acting director of national intelligence since February.
The director of national intelligence heads up 17 spy agencies and has become the public face of US intelligence, briefing Congress and the press. The role was created after the September 11 2001 attacks in an effort to improve the flow of information between agencies.