Trump'll fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, replace him with longtime ally Kash Patel

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he intends to dismiss the current FBI director, Christopher Wray, and replace him with Kash Patel, a longtime supporter and ally. Trump's move to put Patel in charge will require Senate approval, but it is already causing ripples through the political landscape.

Kash Patel has been one of Trump’s most vocal defenders for years, and he served in multiple roles during Trump's first administration. Notably, Patel has openly supported many of the individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol riots, going as far as defending those charged for their actions that day.

Patel has made bold statements about his plans for the FBI, including a drastic reformation that would involve targeting journalists, as well as former senior FBI and Department of Justice officials. He even suggested transforming the FBI into a museum to represent the so-called "deep state." In his words, "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," Trump declared in a Truth Social post, announcing his nomination.

However, Patel has not commented publicly on Trump's announcement. Even if Patel's appointment is confirmed, Trump cannot make personnel changes at the FBI until he is formally sworn in as president.

Current FBI Director Christopher Wray has led the agency since 2017 after being appointed by Trump following the dismissal of James Comey. Trump had famously fired Comey less than four years into his ten-year term, criticizing his performance. In a statement to ABC News, the FBI stated that, "Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats. Director Wray's focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with, and the people we do the work for."

Kash Patel, aged 44, originally hails from Long Island and earned his law degree from Pace University Law School. He began his career as a public defender in Miami, working for nine years before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2013 to join the Justice Department’s National Security Division. He left the department in 2017, citing frustration over how the agency handled events such as the 2012 Benghazi attacks, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Following his departure from the Justice Department, Patel took on a new role leading the "Russia Gate" investigation for House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. As the self-proclaimed “lead investigator of the Russia Gate hoax,” Patel authored the controversial “Nunes memo,” which accused the FBI of improperly spying on Carter Page, a former adviser to Trump. Though a subsequent 2019 report from the Justice Department’s inspector general did not find evidence of political bias affecting the FBI's decisions, it did highlight serious mistakes by agents during their investigation.

In February 2019, Patel was appointed as the deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism on the White House’s National Security Council. Patel also held a temporary role as deputy to the acting director of national intelligence in February 2020. After Trump's 2020 election defeat, Patel was named chief of staff for the Defense Department, despite critics arguing he lacked the necessary qualifications for such a senior role.

Since Trump’s departure from the White House, Patel has taken on various roles, including hosting shows on far-right media platforms. In his book, "Government Gangsters," Patel called for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of the Justice Department, advocating for a complete eradication of what he described as "government tyranny." He suggested firing the top ranks of the FBI and prosecuting anyone who abused their authority for political reasons. He also alleged that the FBI has become so compromised that drastic action is necessary to protect American citizens.

Patel also targeted the Justice Department for declining to prosecute Hillary Clinton for allegedly mishandling classified information and for allegedly not charging Hunter Biden with crimes Patel believes were committed. He contrasted these decisions with the prosecution of Steve Bannon, who defied a subpoena from the House panel investigating the January 6 Capitol attack, and the charging of many Trump supporters for their involvement in the events of that day.

In a podcast interview two months ago, Patel insisted that all officials involved in "Russiagate" should have their security clearances revoked. According to Patel, a "massive" number of current and former officials from the FBI, Justice Department, CIA, and U.S. military still hold security clearances, despite their transition to private sector roles. He stated that "everybody" involved should lose their clearance.

Patel also revealed that he has personally recommended to Trump that his new administration strip the security clearances of 51 former intelligence officials, including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan. These officials signed a letter in October 2020 dismissing the emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop as part of a "Russian information operation."

Kash Patel has also made headlines for defending the January 6 rioters, even raising money for defendants and their families. He co-produced a fundraising song titled "Justice for All" with the “J6 Prison Choir,” a group comprised of individuals detained for their actions on January 6. Trump has played this song at several campaign rallies. Patel even went as far as to describe January 6 as a “free speech movement.”

Patel’s involvement has extended to the investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Patel called the initial reports of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago “disinformation” and claimed he was present when Trump declassified materials that he believed the public had a right to see. In August 2022, Trump named Patel as one of his representatives to the National Archives, and Patel vowed to review every document that had been blocked from declassification.

Patel was later called to testify before the grand jury investigating the matter but initially refused to answer key questions. He eventually cooperated after being granted limited-use immunity, and has since described the investigation as an overreach by a politically compromised Justice Department.