If you thought that President-elect Trump had used up all of his” controversial” nominations, buckle up, because he is reportedly planning to appoint Kash Patel, the former chief investigator of the Trump-Russia investigation for the House Intelligence Committee under former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif. ), to a prominent position within either the FBI or the Justice Department, according to top transition sources cited by Axios.
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Why it matters: Patel would be a profoundly questionable pick for any management role, particularly FBI director. According to the resources, Trump may choose to appoint Patel for an exploratory position within the DOJ because of the obstacles that Patel might face in obtaining Senate confirmation.
State of play: A final decision has n’t been made. Trump may change his mind, including by appointing Patel as FBI producer, which would send shockwaves through Washington in a manner reminiscent of Gaetz’.
” President-elect Trump has made excellent choices regarding the candidates for his second administration at a lightning-fast rate. When final decisions are made, he will continue to make those decisions, according to receiving White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
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In response to Trump’s choice of Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department, the report also mentions that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is being considered for the position of FBI producer. However, no” discussion get” has yet been finalized. Trump has even indicated that he intends to appoint Christopher Wray as FBI director after James Comey was fired in 2017.
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A source close to the move told Politico that” Kash has a lot of allies who think placing him in a major part would be well-received by the Trump center” and give a clear message that the president is serious about significant reform, both in terms of justice and law enforcement.
Patel published a guide in 2023 that Trump hailed as a “blueprint” for rooting out corrupt images in state, and has been vocal about ending the weaponization of state. In his book, he wrote,” The FBI has become so completely compromised that it will be a threat to the people unless drastic steps are taken”, though Axios called that “retaliation against Trump’s political foes”, because, of course they do.
Obviously, Trump’s foes are worried about this pull.
In a statement released last week to CNN, previous FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe warned Patel against taking on any command positions within the organization.” No part of the FBI’s vision is protected with Kash Patel in any position of leadership, and definitely not the lieutenant author’s job,” he said.
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Internal discord has frequently occurred in the role of FBI director. Following a previous story about his thought, Trump supporters reportedly torpedoed former representative Mike Rogers ‘ potential nomination. Dan Scavino, a Trump aide, tweeted that Rogers had “never yet given it a notion.” He also criticized Rogers ‘ possibilities.
Most Americans are currently in favor of the Trump change, according to recent polls.
