Trump to appoint hardline loyalist Kash Patel as next FBI director, calls him 'America first fighter'

After weeks of speculation, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he wants to replace Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher A. Wray with a hardline critic of the ‘deep state,’ Kash Patel. Trump made his intentions clear on Saturday, paving the way for the firebrand loyalist to take the helm of the agency he wanted to bring “to heel.”

It is pertinent to note that Patel has the experience of working with Trump in the past. He advised the secretary of defence under Trump’s previous bid for the White House. However, what makes his appointment controversial is his problematic stance against law enforcement agencies.

In the past, Patel has called for shutting down the FBI’s Washington headquarters, firing its leadership, and bringing the nation’s law enforcement agencies “to heel,” The New York Times reported. He also suggested removing the FBI’s intelligence-gathering function and purging its ranks of any employees who do not support Trump.

“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump wrote on his social media website, Truth Social, on Saturday night. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People. 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 Republican leader added.

Kash Patel: A Trump loyalist and conspiracy theorist

When it comes to Patel’s résumé, the Trump loyalist has worked as a federal prosecutor and public defender in the past. However, he does not have any experience when it comes to working in a law enforcement agency. Just like other hardcore Trump loyalists, Patel also believes that the 2020 election results were rigged against the former president. Last year, Patel vowed to investigate and “come after” journalists who “lied” and “helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections.”

“Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out,” Patel wrote at that time. In his controversial book titled Government Gangsters, Patel elucidated the list of “top reforms to defeat the deep state.” The list included moving the FBI headquarters out of Washington and shrinking the agency’s work strength.

Interestingly, it was Trump who appointed Wray in 2017, and the latter’s term does not expire until 2027. Over the years, the business mogul turned politician has been openly critical of Wray, particularly after law enforcement officials searched his residence in search of classified documents.