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On Saturday, President-elect Donald Trump declared that he will appoint 44-year-old loyalist Kashyap “Kash” Patel, who has minimal management experience in federal law enforcement, as the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“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. “He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.”
Patel, who must be confirmed by the Senate to lead the FBI, has a reputation as a staunch Trump supporter who has advocated for a purge of alleged Trump opponents from the agency and disseminated irrational “deep state” conspiracy theories.
In a statement, Patel said, “Being nominated by President Trump to serve as Director of the FBI is the honor of a lifetime.” “Together, we will restore integrity, accountability, and equal justice to our justice system and return the FBI to its rightful mission: protecting the American people.”
Senate Republicans who indicated earlier this month that they would reject Matt Gaetz as Trump’s attorney general are likely to feel pressured once more by Patel’s nomination. Patel was a federal prosecutor in Washington and a public defender in Florida.
Despite a criminal investigation into alleged sex trafficking, Gaetz, a fervent Trump supporter with no prosecutorial expertise, was never charged. Gaetz refuted the accusations.
Patel was deemed unfit for the role by a former top law enforcement official who had previously dealt with him.
“It’s absurd. The former official, who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for Trump’s reprisals, said, “He’s probably the least qualified individual ever nominated for a senior position in federal law enforcement.” “I’m not aware of any noteworthy accomplishments he made at the DOJ. His reputation as a prosecutor was low.
Trump also suggested Patel lead the FBI in the latter months of his first administration. When then-attorney general William Barr strongly opposed, Trump abandoned his proposal.
“Patel had virtually no experience that would qualify him to serve at the highest level of the world’s preeminent law enforcement agency,” Barr said in his autobiography.
Patel has propagated the unfounded conspiracy theory that federal officials in the “deep state” attempted to topple the former president and the lie that Trump was cheated out of the 2020 election.
Patel promised to target judges, attorneys, and journalists who, in his opinion, had improperly probed Trump and rigged the 2020 election in an interview with longtime Trump supporter Steve Bannon last year.
Patel stated, “We will adhere to the law and the facts, go to the courts, and correct these justices and attorneys who have been prosecuting these cases based on politics.”
In addition, Patel stated, “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media — yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.”
“We’re going to figure that out, whether it’s criminally or civilly,” he continued, “but yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.” “We’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have.”
Trump’s allegations that the 2020 election was rigged were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal judges who were nominated by both Democrats and Republicans. Furthermore, former DOJ and FBI personnel have consistently rejected the “deep state” allegations as untrue conspiracy theories driven by political motivations.
They point out that no criminal charges were brought against senior officials as a result of special counsel John Durham’s years-long inquiry of the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigations. Additionally, they claim that the FBI is purging officials who were thought to be disloyal to Trump in order to scare anyone who would dare look into the actions of Trump or other officials during his second term.
Additionally, Trump’s appointment of Patel defies the 10-year term limit for FBI directors that was established after Watergate. The strategy is to make sure that the FBI is not perceived as supporting a particular president’s political agenda. Christopher Wray, the current director of the FBI, will finish his ten-year tenure in 2027.
That issue was brought up by White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday, who noted that Trump chose Wray during his first term.
“The Biden administration adhered to the long-standing norm that FBI directors serve out their full terms because the FBI director is a unique player in the American government system,” Sullivan stated in an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”
That’s how we go about things. Additionally, we want to make sure that the FBI continues to be a politically neutral organization,” Sullivan continued.
“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 following Trump’s move. The men and women of the FBI, the individuals we work with, and the people we work for continue to be the center of Director Wray’s attention.
Echoing Trump’s assertions about the “deep state,” Patel initially won Trump’s support in 2017 while working as a staffer for then-Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif, on the House Intelligence Committee.
The FBI’s investigation into Russia’s election meddling and Moscow’s outreach to Trump campaign members in 2016 was seen by Trump and his supporters as an effort to undermine his presidency. According to former FBI officials, the investigation was started because they believed Russia’s actions threatened American national security.
