United States: It came out as a surprising move: Donald Trump has picked the lead of the FBI – Kash Patel, who is a hardline supporter of the president-elect and has even vowed to help dismantle the same organization he’s poised to lead.
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According to CNN reports, this former public defender is seen as a polarizing figure who stems mainly from the fact that both are hostile to the traditional political elite in Washington.
Placing him at the head of the FBI implies ousting present director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 before his 10-year term expires in three years – a future course of action that is already drawing bipartisan censure.
The FBI director also requires Senate approval, which members are preparing for given how they will approach a range of unconventional Trump appointments.
Difficult decision by the president-elect
Late last week, some of the insiders thought it was a “toss-up” whether Trump would go with Patel or Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey for FBI director.
However, several close to Trump’s circle were not satisfied with either candidate; a third candidate, the source explained, would likely surface within the next week or two if Trump hadn’t extended an offer.
Patel is especially seen as not being a favorite for the job, according to the source, saying that it was always going to be about what Trump wanted and possibly the last person he spoke with on a given day.
As per his 2023 book, “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,” Patel noted his apprehension against what he termed as “the deep state,” an amorphous term he says includes elected leaders, journalists, Big Tech tycoons and “members of the unelected bureaucracy,” as CNN reported.

He called for “a comprehensive housecleaning” of the Justice Department, which he believed has secured high-ranking members of the Democratic Party while unjustly targeting Republicans and their allies.
Recently, in the podcast interview in September, Patel vehemently attacked the FBI and said that the FBI headquarters in Washington DC should be shut down and made into a “Museum of Deep State.”