Trump called Kash Patel, 44, an "America First fighter."
President-elect Donald Trump has named his longtime ally Kashyap "Kash" Patel, a vocal critic of the FBI, as his pick for the next FBI Director in his incoming administration.
At 44, Patel is a seasoned attorney with expertise in national security, intelligence, and counterterrorism. He played a key role in uncovering the FBI's surveillance of the Trump campaign during the first term. Additionally, Patel served on Trump's transition team, advising on various appointments.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social Saturday, praising Patel's qualifications.
"Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people," Trump wrote. "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution."
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The current FBI director, Christopher Wray, is serving a 10-year term that began in 2017. For Kash Patel to assume the position, Wray would either need to be fired or resign.
Patel, a staunch Trump loyalist, is expected to carry out the former president's proposed reforms within the FBI. He previously served as senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council and later as chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller from 2020 to 2021.
A fierce critic of government bureaucracy and corruption, Patel published a book in 2023 titled Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy. The book explores "the major players and tactics within the permanent government bureaucracy," according to its description.
Media outlets have widely described Patel as a highly controversial choice, with MSNBC's Morning Joe calling him the "personification of MAGA rage" against the Justice Department and the FBI.
In a recent interview with The Shawn Ryan Show, Patel stated, "I would shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the Deep State."
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Kash Patel began his career as a public defender in Florida’s Miami-Dade County after earning his law degree from Pace University in New York and a certificate in international law from University College London Faculty of Laws.
In 2014, Patel joined the Department of Justice's National Security Division as a federal prosecutor, where he led prosecutions against members of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other terrorist groups.
Patel has held several key roles in the federal government, including serving as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense and Deputy Assistant to President Trump during his first term. Prior to his time at the Pentagon, he was Deputy Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Assistant to the President on the National Security Council.
Before joining the Trump administration, Patel worked as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), where he reported to Committee Chair Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). In this capacity, Patel was involved in overseeing the House investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and played a critical role in uncovering unlawful surveillance of the Trump campaign by the FBI and DOJ.
The FBI director position requires Senate confirmation. On Saturday night, Trump ally Mike Davis praised Patel as "unquestionably qualified" in an X post.
"I served as Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley’s chief counsel for nominations, the role responsible for confirming the FBI director," Davis wrote. "Kash Patel will secure Senate confirmation and bring much-needed reforms to a broken, corrupt FBI."
Trump's statement added that Patel will collaborate with Pam Bondi, his nominee for attorney general, to implement reforms within the FBI.
"This FBI will put an end to the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle migrant criminal gangs, and eradicate the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking at the border," Trump’s post concluded. "Kash will work alongside our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to restore Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI."
In response to Trump's announcement, the FBI issued a statement.
"Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work tirelessly to protect Americans from a growing array of threats," the statement read. "Director Wray's focus remains on the dedicated individuals within the FBI, the people we work with, and the people we work to protect."
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