Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, has been advocating for years to diminish the influence of powerful entrenched bureaucrats in Washington, whom he refers to as the “deep state.” He has been critical of politically biased federal investigators, labeling them as “gangsters.”
If confirmed, he could be the one spearheading those reforms.
Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent who spent more than 12 years with the bureau, has a few ideas on where to start.
“During an interview with Fox News Digital, Patel emphasized a significant gap between the FBI’s field agents and its leadership in the nation’s capital. He expressed concerns about the lack of effective leadership within the organization and stressed the importance of addressing and resolving the agency’s current challenges for its future success.”
Kash Patel speaks at a campaign event for Republican candidates on July 31, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump praised Patel as a highly skilled attorney, investigator, and advocate for the “America First” agenda. Trump highlighted Patel’s extensive legal experience, including handling more than 60 cases, as well as his dedication to combating corruption, upholding justice, and safeguarding the interests of the American people.
Patel was a federal prosecutor who handled foreign terror cases with the Department of Justice and began his career as a public defense lawyer. And he served in a number of Defense Department and White House roles during the first Trump administration, including as senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council and as chief of staff to former Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
“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,” Trump continued. “Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
President Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, left, meets with Texas Sen. John Cornyn in his office in the Hart Senate Office Building on Dec. 9, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, wrote on X that Patel’s background placed him in key national security positions in all three branches of government. He’d also been a congressional watchdog.
Sen. Dick Durbin, however, an influential Illinois Democrat and the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Patel “the wrong choice.”
“Kash Patel has neither the experience, the temperament, nor the judgment to lead the FBI,” Durbin claimed.
Patel’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
“The FBI is not damaged beyond repair,” Parker told Fox News Digital.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
