United States President-elect Donald Trump has nominated one of his most loyal aides, Kash Patel, to run the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), drawing a sharp reaction from critics, who question his qualifications and impartiality to hold the position. Patel, an outspoken critic of the FBI like his boss, has been entrusted to lead the country’s most important federal law enforcement agency.
Kash Patel Donald Trump’s Pick For FBI Director
Why In News
- United States President-elect Donald Trump has nominated one of his most loyal aides, Kash Patel, to run the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), drawing a sharp reaction from critics, who question his qualifications and impartiality to hold the position. Patel, an outspoken critic of the FBI like his boss, has been entrusted to lead the country’s most important federal law enforcement agency.
Kash Patel
- The 44-year-old has steadfastly promoted the idea of the existence of a “deep state” and the belief the agency is biased against Trump. He has pushed to overhaul the agency.
- With the nomination of Patel, Trump also signals that he is preparing to carry out his threat to oust Christopher Wray, a Republican he first appointed in 2017 and whose 10-year term does not expire until 2027.
- Patel would thus replace incumbent FBI director Christopher Wray, whom Trump had appointed for a 10-year term in 2017. With three years left for Wray’s term, he is expected to resign or be fired. Patel will also need to be confirmed by the Senate, and could likely face some opposition. During Trump’s first term, Patel advised both the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense.
- However, he reportedly endeared himself to the former president with his role in the 2018 investigation by the FBI into Russian involvement in Trump’s presidential campaign two years earlier.
- Kashyap Pramod Vinod Patel, commonly known as Kash, was born in the city of New York, a child of immigrant parents originally from the Indian state of Gujarat.
- Patel graduated in law in 2005 from Pace University after earning a certificate in international law from the University College London a year prior. Before that, he finished his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and history from the University of Richmond.
- Patel joined the administration of then-President Trump in 2019, rising rapidly from the ranks by showing what some media described as his complete devotion to Trump.
- “Each new title set off new alarms,” according to The Atlantic describing Patel. Once, then-CIA Director Gina Haspel had reportedly threatened to resign after Trump said he wanted to appoint Patel as deputy CIA director.
- Patel served in key roles during Trump’s first term, including overseeing the counterterrorism division at the National Security Council and later serving as chief of staff at the Department of Defense.
- Before his White House roles, Patel worked on the House Intelligence Committee in Congress, where he played a significant role in the investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
- Shortly after Trump left office, Patel launched Fight with Kash, an organisation that funds defamation lawsuits and peddles a wide variety of merchandise, including branded socks and other clothing with the “K$H” logo.
- Patel has also authored children’s books that lionise Trump – The Plot Against the King – featuring a thinly veiled Hillary Clinton as the villain going after “King Donald” while Kash plays a wizard who thwarts her plans.
- In a post on Truth Social network, Trump described Patel as a “brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter”.
- Patel has been prominently seen with Trump at his New York court hearing that named him a convicted felon, and told reporters that Trump was the victim of an “unconstitutional circus.”
- The Trump loyalist has also been vocal in his support for the Ayodhya Ram Mandir and previously claimed that there was a “disinformation campaign” targetting India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- “There was a Hindu temple there for one of the quintessential gods in the Hindu pantheon in 1500 that was toppled, and they have been trying to get it back for 500 years. Washington establishments conveniently forgot this part of history,” he opined in February.
Others
- Trump loyalist with roots in Gujarat. Alongside Patel, figures like Tulsi Gabbard and Vivek Ramaswamy have gained attention for their vocal embrace of their Hindu roots. Although Tulsi Gabbard has no direct ties to India, her deep connection to Hinduism, particularly the teachings of Hare Krishna philosophy, has been a defining part of her identity.
- Alongside SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Trump selected loyalist and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his new Department of Government Efficiency.
- Trump has also nominated Indian-origin Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as the director of the National Institutes of Health. While Bhattacharya has ties to Kolkata, he has not made a clear statement about his faith. Trump’s White House will also see Usha Chilukri Vance, an Indian-American Hindu, as the second lady, married to the incoming Vice President JD Vance.
