Kash Patel picks early Republican support to be next FBI director

Controversial Indian American lawyer has vowed to bring about radical changes in the world’s premier law enforcement organisation

By Arun Kumar

Cocking a snook yet again at the “deep state,” President-elect Donald Trump has named controversial Indian American lawyer Kashyap “Kash” Patel as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

As FBI directors serve 10-year terms, Trump would have to either fire or force out current director Christopher Wray, whom he appointed in his first term after sacking James Comey in 2017.

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Patel, 44, who traces his roots to Gujarat, has publicly mused about targeting journalists and government officials, and he published a list of “deep state” names in a book last year, according to the Washington Post.

Naming Patel Saturday, Trump called him “a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”

“He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” Trump stated. “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.”

“Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials. 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,” the President-elect stated. “Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.

Born in Queens, New York, to Gujarati immigrant parents from East Africa, Patel began as a public defender in Florida Rose to prominence expressing outrage over FBI probe into Trump campaign’s ‘complicity’ with Russia to interfere in 2016 US polls.

Patel is likely to face tough questions at his confirmation hearings about whether the agency would remain free from political interference, according to the New York Times.

But even as Democrats expressed horror and many in the national security establishment were left shocked at Patel’s nomination, Republicans stood behind Trump’s pick, the Times reported noting several Republican lawmakers “celebrated the candidate, who has vowed to use the position to exact revenge on Trump’s adversaries.”

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called Patel “a very strong nominee” to take on what he and other Trump allies claim has been partisanship inside the FBI.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Sunday said Kash Patel will need to prove to Congress he will reform and restore public trust in the FBI if he is to win confirmation to the role.

The choice, which had been the subject of speculation for some time, excited Trump’s MAGA movement but sparked immediate concerns from Democrats, according the Hill.

Patel has called for mass firings, particularly at both the Justice Department and FBI, and has also called for stripping security clearances of anyone involved in investigating Trump while he was a candidate in 2016. He has regularly accused a “deep state” of thwarting Trump during his first term.

“Chris Wray has failed at fundamental duties of FBI Dir,” Grassley wrote in a message on the social platform X. “He’s showed disdain for cong oversight & hasn’t lived up to his promises It’s time 2 chart a new course 4 TRANSPARENCY +ACCOUNTABILITY at FBI.”

RepublicanSenator Bill Hagerty told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had encouraged Trump to pick Patel. “There are serious problems at the FBI. The American public knows it. They expect to see sweeping change, and Kash Patel is just the type of person to do it,” Hagerty said.

Republican Senator Mike Rounds said he was not surprised Trump would want personnel “that he believes are very loyal.”

Dick Durbin, a senior US Democratic senator who will be one of the senators questioning Patel during his confirmation hearing, said in a statement: “The Senate should reject this unprecedented effort to weaponize the FBI for the campaign of retribution that Donald Trump has promised.”

Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, meaning Trump and Patel can afford three defections, assuming Democrats are unified against the pick.

Meanwhile, Trump-Vance transition cited several former FBI Agents to suggest that Kash Patel is the right pick to reform the FBI.

Former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien wrote: “President [Donald Trump] has made America safer & more just by his nomination of Kash Patel as Director of the FBI. He will be a worthy successor to my friend, Christopher Wray.

“Kash Patel served [as] a Snr. Director for counterterrorism when I was National Security Advisor. I was able to count on him to get any job done no matter how complex or difficult the task. He handled some of the nation’s most sensitive issues with care and discretion.

“From assisting President Trump in the take down of ISIS and bringing justice to Kayla Mueller’s murderer – al Baghdadi – to risking his life in Syria for hostage Austin Tice, Kash Patel fought for America.”