President-elect Trump is expected to appoint Kash Patel to a high-profile position at either the FBI or the main Justice Department, transition sources tell Axios. Patel would be a controversial pick for any leadership role, especially FBI director. Given the hurdles Patel might face winning Senate confirmation, Trump is considering naming him deputy director or to an appointed investigative role. "Ka sh has a lot of allies who think placing him in a top role would be well-received by the Trump base, and send a clear message that Trump is serious about major reform to the justice and law-enforcement agencies," said a transition source,
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is being considered for FBI director after Trump chose Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department. But a consensus pick hasn't emerged.
Trump has signaled he will fire FBI director Christopher Wray, whom he nominated in 2017 to serve a 10-year term after ousting James Comey. Trump has viewed the FBI with distrust dating to the bureau's 2016 probe into his campaign's alleged ties to Russia, which turned into the Mueller investigation. Trump sees the Justice Department as the heart of the so-called "Deep State" — a cabal of bureaucrats that Trump believes sabotaged his first presidency — and is intent on rooting out non-loyalists in his second term. Patel, who rose to prominence waging war against the Russia investigation as an aide to former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), shares those aims. Patel served on Trump's National Security Council and later as chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, before publishing a book in 2023 that Trump praised as a "blueprint" for purging the government of "corrupt" actors. "No part of the FBI's mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI, and certainly not in the deputy director's job," former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told CNN. The FBI has emerged as a battleground in a tug-of-war between MAGA advocates and traditional Republicans.
Comments