Trump allies lobby him to fire FBI director early and install loyalist Kash Patel
CNN
Donald Trump is weighing a push from right-wing allies to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI, one of the clearest indications Trump plans to stick by his vow to fire Director Christopher Wray before his 10-year term ends and replace him with a loyalist.
Donald Trump is weighing a push from right-wing allies to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI, one of the clearest indications the president-elect plans to stick by his vow to fire Director Christopher Wray before his 10-year term ends and replace him with a loyalist. The interest in Patel – after selecting Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence – speaks to Trump’s urge to fill top law enforcement and intelligence positions with supporters who may be open to carrying out his demands for specific investigations as well as inoculating the president against possible future investigations. Trump has harbored a bitterness over his experience navigating a special counsel during his first term, followed by the four criminal indictments he faced after leaving office. The wrangling for premier positions in the next administration has continued at Mar-a-Lago and other names in the mix for the FBI’s top slot include former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, former acting commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan and Jeff Jensen, a former St. Louis US attorney who led a review of Gen. Mike Flynn’s guilty plea which led to the dismissal of his case. Even among Trump loyalists, Patel is widely viewed as a controversial figure and relentless self-promoter whose value largely derives from a shared disdain for the so-called deep state. While sources said he’s been lobbying for the FBI position – including speaking to Trump directly about a position in the administration – he also pushed for the role of CIA director, which ultimately went to John Ratcliffe. Whomever Trump selects, it’s clear the president-elect is exploring the option of cutting Wray’s 10-year term short. Trump nominated Wray in 2017 after firing James Comey, but he began to sour on him before he left office in 2021. Trump’s view of the FBI only worsened after his Mar-a-Lago resort was searched in August 2022, and Trump was later indicted for allegedly retaining classified documents.
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