Trump picks loyalist to lead FBI
Newly elected US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
US President-elect Donald Trump has decided to appoint a loyal ally as the new FBI director. The position will be filled by Kash Patel, a former member of Trump’s team, reports Reuters.
"I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Media reports suggest the statement signals Trump’s intent to remove current FBI Director Christopher Wray, whose term is set to end in 2027.
Wray, appointed by Trump in 2017 following James Comey’s dismissal, fell out of favor with the former president before Trump left office in 2021. Trump’s criticism of the FBI intensified after the agency searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022 and later charged him with allegedly mishandling classified documents.
Trump’s interest in Patel reflects a broader strategy to fill key positions in law enforcement and intelligence with loyalists who may be receptive to his demands for specific investigations and shield him from potential future probes.
