Who is Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director?

Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI and an ardent supporter of the president-elect, has vowed to help dismantle the same organization he’s poised to lead.

Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI and an ardent supporter of the president-elect, has vowed to help dismantle the same organization he’s poised to lead. The former public defender is widely viewed as a controversial figure and one whose value to the president-elect largely derives from their shared disdain for established power in Washington. Putting him in charge of the FBI would require forcing out current director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, before his 10-year term expires in three years — a future move that has already prompted bipartisan criticism. The FBI director must also be confirmed by the Senate, where members are already bracing for how they’ll navigate a slew of unorthodox Trump selections. As of late last week, some close to Trump believed it was a “toss-up” between Patel and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey as to whom the president-elect would pick for FBI director, according to a source familiar with the discussions. But some in Trump’s inner circle were not happy with either option, the source said, adding a third, unknown candidate would likely have emerged in the next week or two if Trump hadn’t made a decision by then.