President-elect Donald Trump has selected Kash Patel to lead the FBI, closing one of the last remaining presidentially appointed positions available two months before taking office — and putting current bureau boss Christopher Wray’s tenure on the chopping block before his term expires.
“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 on Truth Social Saturday night.
“He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” he continued.
“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
The announcement comes after Trump spent years at odds with Wray, who he nominated to head the bureau in August 2017 after firing James Comey.
Wray invoked the president-elect’s wrath over what Trump, 78, viewed as political investigations against him, including the Mar-a-Lago raid, which he was later indicted for allegedly retaining classified documents, and then questioning whether Trump had been struck by a bullet at the Butler, Pa., rally where a would-be assassin shot him in the ear.
Trump claimed the FBI director’s remarks proved that “he knows nothing about the terrorists and other criminals pouring into our Country at record levels.”
The once and future president has also accused Wray of “lying to Congress” about his awareness of President Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline.
Wray, whose 10-year term doesn’t expire until 2027, would need to resign or be fired to create a vacancy for Patel to fill.
“Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats,” the FBI said in a statement to CBS.
“Director Wray’s focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with, and the people we do the work for.” --->READ MORE HERE
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Conservatives called for Patel to 'clean up' FBI, while liberals called him 'profoundly unqualified'
President-elect Trump's nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director evoked strong reactions from supporters and critics Saturday night.
Patel's nomination hints at massive changes the agency will likely undergo during the second Trump administration. As a staunch supporter of Trump, Patel is a fierce critic of government corruption and the so-called "deep state" and has blasted the bureau in the past.
In a September interview with "The Shawn Ryan Show," Patel said the FBI's footprint "has gotten so frickin' big."
"I would shut down the FBI Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state," Patel said.
Trump has not historically been a fan of the FBI, which raided his Florida estate in 2022 and years earlier investigated false claims he was a Russian asset. Most observers expect Trump will demand an agency overhaul by his director.
"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 said in a statement. "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution."
Patel's nomination was met with instant praise from Republicans. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump's pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Patel an "America First fighter." Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., also praised the pick.
"Great choice by @realDonaldTrump," Donalds wrote on X. "Kash is a patriot and 100% America First."
Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, also issued his congratulations.
"Kash was INSTRUMENTAL in President Trump’s first term and will be EVEN GREATER in his second!" the former White House physician wrote. "Time to clean this place up, and Kash is the man to do it!!! MAGA!" --->READ MORE HERE
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