President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has chosen Kash Patel, a prominent loyalist and former chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense during Trump’s first term, to serve as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patel will require Senate confirmation to assume the role.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Patel as “a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
Trump added that Patel would “bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
Congratulations, Kash Patel! pic.twitter.com/hhWxrpdGjp
— Karoline Leavitt (@karolineleavitt) December 1, 2024
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Patel gained recognition during Trump’s presidency for his role in shaping the administration’s response to investigations into alleged misconduct and for advancing claims of wrongdoing by federal agencies.
A former public defender, Patel rose to senior national security positions, including serving as chief of staff to Defense Secretary Chris Miller during the final months of Trump’s first term.
Patel first caught Trump’s attention as a congressional staffer when he helped draft a controversial memo accusing the FBI of mishandling surveillance during the Russia investigation.
Although parts of the memo were later debunked, Patel’s work solidified his standing as a Trump ally.
He has since echoed Trump’s rhetoric about the “deep state,” accusing unelected bureaucrats of undermining the former president and interfering with his administration’s agenda.
This is Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI Director. The Deep State is f*cked. pic.twitter.com/cejy7hhioP
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) December 1, 2024
In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel described the current political landscape as “a battle between the people and a corrupt ruling class.”
“The Deep State is an unelected cabal of tyrants who think they should determine who Americans can and cannot elect as president,” Patel wrote, adding that these forces “believe they have the right to choose what the American people can and cannot know.”
Meet your new FBI director, Kash Patelpic.twitter.com/Ymwz4fG1aU
— Uzi Obi (@ObiUzi) November 30, 2024
During Trump’s first term, Patel was floated as a candidate for deputy CIA director and FBI director, but those plans were dropped after strong opposition from then-CIA Director Gina Haspel and then-Attorney General William Barr.
Barr later wrote in his memoir that Patel “had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency.”
Patel has been outspoken about replacing what he describes as “anti-democratic” civil servants with individuals he calls “patriots” committed to serving the American people.
In a 2022 interview with Steve Bannon, Patel vowed to pursue federal bureaucrats he accused of abusing their positions.
“The one thing we learned in the Trump administration the first go-around is that we have to put in all-American patriots top to bottom,” Patel said.
If confirmed, Patel would lead the FBI at a time of intense political polarization and heightened scrutiny of federal law enforcement.
His history of challenging the intelligence community and promoting claims of misconduct by federal agencies suggests that his tenure could bring significant changes to the bureau’s operations.
Patel’s nomination underscores Trump’s commitment to reshaping the federal government to reflect his “America First” agenda, but it also sets the stage for contentious Senate confirmation hearings as Democrats and some Republicans are likely to scrutinize Patel’s qualifications and partisan rhetoric.
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