Story perspectives

Trump appoints Hegseth, Patel and Ratcliffe to lead agencies

9/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a purge of alleged corrupt actors from the national security and intelligence apparatus.
Trump appointed Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel and John Ratcliffe to lead the Pentagon, FBI and CIA.
Former CIA and DHS official Steven Cash resigned, citing conscience concerns over Trump’s use of intelligence against Americans.
In 2025, Trump’s budget cuts slashed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other security agencies.

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Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a purge of alleged corrupt actors from the national security and intelligence apparatus.
Trump appointed Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel and John Ratcliffe to lead the Pentagon, FBI and CIA.
Former CIA and DHS official Steven Cash resigned, citing conscience concerns over Trump’s use of intelligence against Americans.
In 2025, Trump’s budget cuts slashed the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other security agencies.