President-elect Trump plans to nominate Kash Patel to serve as head of the FBI, elevating a staunch ally and controversial figure who sparked internal battles during the first Trump administration.
Patel has called for mass firings, particularly at both the Justice Department and the 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.
“Kash is 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 said in a Saturday post on his social media site Truth Social.
Trump’s announcement indicated he plans to fire current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who Trump first nominated in 2017 and whose 10-year term otherwise wouldn’t be up until 2027.
The FBI did not directly address Patel’s nomination.