WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Kash Patel to lead the FBI, closing one of the last remaining presidentially appointed positions available two months before taking office.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday night.
“He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” he continued.
“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. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
Patel brings a wealth of experience as a former public defender and later attorney for the US Justice Department’s national security division, and served in multiple intelligence and national security roles in the president-elect’s first administration.
He’d been considered a frontrunner among the MAGA camp, who hope he can shake up the bureau and reverse its record of targeting conservatives in the Trump era.
The New York native is known for deep loyalty to Trump — which has made him a target of the left despite serving as a National Security Council official, senior adviser to the acting Director of National Intelligence, and later, chief of staff to the acting United States secretary of defense.
That loyalty has enraged Democrats, with countless talking heads appearing on left-leaning networks to disparage him.
Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe on CNN Thursday warned the audience of Patel, telling anchor Kaitlan Collins that “no part of the FBI’s mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI.”
“It’s inconceivable to me that an outsider with no experience in the organization, no knowledge of the work and the scope of authority that’s involved there could perform adequately,” seethed McCabe, who Trump boldly canned from his position just 26 hours before his 2018 retirement.
McCabe — who butted heads with the 45th president over the FBI’s Trump-Russia collusion probe, pursued the debunked Steele dossier and was fired as acting director of the bureau for leaking sensitive case information to a journalist — cautioned against Patel Thursday, telling CNN that “no part of the FBI’s mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI.”
Those warnings initially caused some concern over his confirmability in media reports, but Patel’s supporters point to his long list of credentials within the Justice Department and national security realm as proof that he is best suited for the job.
“Despite media reports that there are concerns on confirmation, he’s accomplished in counterterrorism, defense, intelligence and the law,” one source close to the transition team told The Post. “Just look at his resume; this is pretty solid person for this job.”
Patel won the early support of Trump confidant and soon-to-be co-head of the new administration’s Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk, who issued his support in a post to X said that suggested Patel for the role after he suggested there should be a full-time “declassification office” to increase transparency in the federal government.
“Good idea,” replied the Tesla, SpaceX and X owner.
Still, the pick of the sometimes controversial figure may send shockwaves through Washington, which last week seethed at Trump’s selection of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for attorney general before removing himself from consideration following meetings on Capitol Hill.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) and former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell had also been considered for the FBI director slot.
The Post has reached out to the Trump-Vance transition team for comment.