Trump to nominate Kash Patel for FBI Director
President-Elect Donald Trump has announced Kash Patel as his pick for director for the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).
“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 in a Truth Social post on Saturday evening.
“Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council,” Trump added.
Trump cited Patel’s “pivotal role” in “uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” as one of the major factors in picking him for the critical role.
“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,” Trump wrote.
Polymarket, which was funded in part by longtime Trump backer Peter Thiel, gave Patel only a 26 percent chance of being nominated by Trump, as of Monday afternoon. The favorite was Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who was given a 54 percent chance.
Patel would replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray, also a Trump pick who took his position in 2017 at the start of the first Trump administration. However, Wray has fallen out of favor, with some speculating he is likely to resign before Trump can fire him.
Patel has a reputation as a staunch loyalist who served multiple roles during the first Trump administration, including senior advisor to the acting Director of National Intelligence, chief of staff to the acting U.S. Secretary of Defense and an unspecified role with the National Security Council.
Patel, who was a federal public defender and prosecutor before joining the Trump White House, and he has repeatedly promised to dismantle the “deep state” and punish Trump critics.
Patel caps off a quiet week following the tumult of Trump’s initial nominee blitz, which culminated in Matt Gaetz, his pick for attorney general, withdrawing his name for consideration amid growing scandal around allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use.
Gaetz denied all allegations, but he argued that the media attention on the allegations would prove too distracting for Trump to hit the ground running with his second term.