Kash Patel: Trump’s Man Set to Shake Up the FBI
By Jason Collins
Since winning the November elections, Donald Trump has been busy filing out his incoming administration, with his choice of nominees raising eyebrows from many. His latest nominee, the hyper-MAGA, out-to-seek-vengeance, and conspiracy theorist Kash Patel, has been picked for FBI director. Trump’s decision has sent shockwaves amongst Democrats and even some of Trump’s former officials.
In this article, we’ll explore who Patel is and why many of them believe he is Trump’s scariest pick yet.
Who is Kash Patel?
Kash Patel is the child of Indian immigrants and a proud native of New York. He started his journey in law by studying at the University of Richmond, Pace University in New York, and the University College London Faculty of Laws, earning a slew of law degrees that helped him begin his career as a public defender in Florida for nine years. Patel climbed the legal ranks and became a tough terrorism prosecutor at the Justice Department. During his time at the Justice Department, Patel oversaw the prosecution of criminals associated with ISIS, al Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations.
Patel caught Trump’s eye when he went on to serve as an aide to Rep. Devin Nunes during the FBI’s Russia investigation into the Trump campaign. His assistance in writing the “Nunes memo,” which accused FBI and DOJ officials of bias against Trump, impressed Trump so much that he was given a post with the National Security Council in 2019 and became chief of staff to acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Because of his time in Trump’s administration, Patel got caught up in the classified documents case and the investigation into the January 6 attacks on the Capitol. Ultimately, he was never indicted on any charges stemming from the incident.
Trump’s nomination for FBI director should not come as a surprise to the former prosecutor, considering that during 2020, Trump had reportedly considered making Patel deputy director of the FBI, and then-Attorney General Bill Barr told then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows that would happen “over my dead body.” Former CIA director Gina Haspel threatened to resign if Patel was appointed deputy.
So, what exactly makes Patel such a controversial choice for FBI director?
On a Mission To Seek Vengeance
What makes Trump’s FBI director scary to the establishment is the fact that he has not hidden his clear disdain for Washington elites and government. He has even vowed to come after those, in his opinion, who have wronged Trump in the past or present.
In his book Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, Patel wrote a retribution list labeled “Members of the Executive Branch Deep State.” During a 2023 podcast interview with Trump loyalist Steve Bannon, Patel explained how he would handle reporters and the media if he were in power. He told Bannon,
We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.
However, Patel has backed down from his strong words and added that he was talking about people who broke the law. Perhaps to quell concerns, he complimented journalists, “I’ve always said this, I think reporters are invaluable. Like, who else is going to tell the world what’s going on in Washington or wherever, right?”
NBC News reported what Angelo Carusone, president of the watchdog group Media Matters for America, warned about the effect Patel would have on reporting:
We shouldn’t discount the blood thirst that’s out there. People want revenge.
He’s Going To Reform The FBI
For many Democrats and even some Republicans, Patels’ comments concerning what he plans to do with the FBI have sounded alarm bells.
During an interview on the Shawn Ryan Show, he warned,
I’d shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state.
He added he would take those 7,000 employees who work in the building and make them chase down criminals across the country. For Patel, there are just too many employees in the FBI and the Department of Justice, who he believes are only there for the fancy government title.
What is his suggestion to weed out corruption in the government? Replace them with MAGA loyalists.
In an interview, Patel told Bannon,
The one thing we learned in the Trump administration, the first go-around is we got to put in all American patriots, top to bottom, and we got them for law enforcement. We got them for intel collection, we got them for offensive operations. We got them for [Department of Defense], CIA, everywhere.
For some, Patel’s nomination marks a path to getting rid of corrupt government officials and carrying out Trump’s promises. One source familiar with Patel’s work told CNN, “is clearly dogged and determined and won’t take no for an answer, and those are traits that I’m sure are appealing to the president.” The source also revealed that
(Patel) has a willingness to push the envelope to sort of fight against norms, standard practice, for the benefit of getting information out or embarrassing the intelligence community or the administration.
He Wants Major Surveillance Reform
In addition to downsizing the FBI, Patel criticizes the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, instead of shutting it down, Patel seeks to implement corrective steps to address past abuses, like during the FBI Russian investigation into Trump.
If the Senate confirms his position, he will be in charge of the highly debatable FISA provision, Section 702. This provision allows the US to collect communications of non-Americans without a warrant. For Patel, this provision is an important tool for fighting terrorism.
He Has Ties With QAnon
Patel’s ties with QAnon, a far-right American political conspiracy theory and movement that believes the president-elect will someday purge the federal government, combined with his desire to punish those on his retribution list, make him a dangerous choice.
Patel has a long history courting the QAnon movement. He even appeared on MG Show, a show hosted by major QAanon influencer Jeffrey Pederson. USA Today reported that on the show, Patel said, “You guys are the best, I love being on your program.”
During a 2022 interview, Patel (who is a member of Truth Social’s board) explained that the social media platform had tried to incorporate QAnon into the “overall messaging scheme to capture audiences because whoever that person is has certainly captured a widespread breadth of the MAGA and the America First movement.” He acknowledged that the movement has been “right on so many things.”
Will The Senate Confirm Patel?
Fox News reported that the nominees have been making their way to the Senate for meetings between members. So far, top GOP senators have signaled their support for Trump’s feisty pick. The vetting process has just begun, and confirmation votes will take place next year.
Kash Patel’s nomination for FBI director has sparked widespread controversy due to his unapologetic loyalty to Donald Trump, his ties to QAnon, and his inflammatory rhetoric. His threats of retribution against perceived enemies further amplify concerns about his ability to lead the FBI impartially. But could this hard-hitting nominee be the very thing needed to weed out corruption and make America great again? Only time will tell as the Senate carries out its careful vetting process.
