President-elect Trump has nominated Kash Patel, who has an extensive background in national security and intelligence, to be the next FBI director.
Patel's experience ranges from personally conducting dangerous missions in the Middle East to bring home U.S. hostages to implementing counterterrorism strategies against America's most wanted terrorists. Current and former U.S. national security officials and members of Congress said that an “objective” review of his resume makes him “one of the most experienced individuals ever appointed” to lead the agency. It states that.
During the first Trump administration, Mr. Patel served as President Trump's deputy chief of staff and senior counterterrorism director. In that role, Patel was involved in the presidential mission aimed at destroying al-Qaeda's senior leadership and ISIS command and control. Patel was involved in planning the mission to remove Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and others.
Who is Kash Patel? Trump's nominee for FBI director has a long history of vowing to take down the “deep state.”
Kash Patel, then-Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller's chief of staff, speaks at a campaign event for Republican candidates at Whiskey Rose Restaurant and Bar on July 31, 2022 in Tucson, Arizona. Mr. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Mr. Patel was also involved in efforts to bring some of the most wanted terrorists to the United States for prosecution, and worked on the Trump administration's efforts to repatriate dozens of American hostages.
“When I was National Security Advisor, Mr. Kash was my senior counterterrorism director. He was responsible for all interagency actions against ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other terrorist organizations.” Former White House National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien told FOX News Digital. “He was also responsible for the hostage rescue and did a great job on both fronts.”
Mr O'Brien recalled Mr Patel's “tremendous personal courage” in relation to hostage Austin Tice, who has been held by the Syrian government for more than 12 years.
In 2020, O'Brien said that the Syrians had “finally agreed to bring Americans in for negotiations, so I asked Kash Patel and Ambassador Roger Carstens if they would be willing to participate in the negotiations.” ” he said.
National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien speaks at a defense article handover ceremony held at the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Manila, Philippines, on November 23, 2020. (Eloisa López/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
“I wanted someone from the White House, so it wasn't just a representative from the State Department. Kash was a White House person,” O'Brien said. “They traveled overland from Beirut to Damascus, through areas where al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda, ISIS and Hezbollah were present. It was a very complicated situation. They traveled to Damascus to meet with the head of Assad's intelligence service. I drove away.'' ”
O'Brien said, “It was easy for the Syrians themselves to take Kash and Roger hostage.”
“I never heard Kash talk about that mission or talk about the war trying to save fellow Americans,” O'Brien said.
He added: “To those who ignorantly criticize Kash Patel's character, please tell me when was the last time you did something dangerous to save a stranger.”
The FBI has long been accused of politicking in the face of Democratic concerns over Kash Patel's nomination.
Not everyone shared O'Brien's rosy portrayal of Patel. Fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and others criticized President Trump's selection of Patel, saying he was unqualified.
But O'Brien and his colleagues argue that these attacks are “entirely politically motivated because they support the president's America First policy.”
“In the past, Democrats would have applauded the president for appointing someone with criminal defense experience and opposition to the FBI surveilling Americans, but Democrats back then were very different,” O'Brien said. Ta.
In addition to his counterterrorism efforts, Patel was deeply involved in U.S. strategy to counter efforts by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea against U.S. interests. He also worked to implement multi-million dollar sanctions against foreign enemies.
Victoria Coates, former national security adviser to President Donald Trump and vice president of national security at the Heritage Foundation, said Patel was a “strong colleague” on the National Security Council (NSC) and “an important member of our national security team.” “We understand the important parts of the security architecture.” . ”
On July 3, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sealed it outside its headquarters in Washington, DC. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“After four years of failure under Biden and Harris, he will be the strong hand the FBI needs to keep Americans safe,” Coats said. “Instead of a director who spends his time testifying to Congress about a flashing red light on his dashboard, we now have someone who actually does something to make it go away.”
Prior to working for President Trump and at the National Security Council, Ms. Patel worked in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as chief of staff to Acting Director of National Intelligence Rick Grenell and helped former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe take office. President Trump nominated Ratcliffe to head the CIA last month.
At ODNI, Patel also focused on intelligence gathering to counter narcotics and transnational threats.
“Kash brings a great deal of passion to government work because he has seen what corruption looks like from the inside,” Grenell said. “He is a first-generation American who knows how elites manipulate the system to maintain power and control over the American people.”
“It takes courage to reform Washington and its closed ways,” Grenell continued. “Those of us outside Washington who want reform must stop expecting the people who live and work in Washington to make it happen. They are never going to reform themselves.”
Rick Grenell, former Acting Director of National Intelligence. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Prior to joining the Trump administration, Mr. Patel served as national security adviser and senior counterterrorism adviser to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Secretary Durham finds the Justice Department and FBI 'failed' to fulfill their mission of 'strict compliance with the law' in Trump-Russia probe
Patel was the lead investigator on the committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Through his investigations, he led efforts to uncover FISA abuses and exposed in federal court the misconduct of the FBI and Department of Justice in illegally surveilling Americans, including members of the 2016 Trump campaign.
“The best thing about Mr. Kash is that he is not fooled by the bureaucracy because of his previous administration experience and his critical role in unraveling Russiagate,” said former Trump National Security Adviser. KT McFarland said.
“Intelligence bureaucrats cover up their mistakes and wrongdoing by hiding behind the excuse of ‘sources and methods.’ They slow declassification efforts and internal investigations. Most first-time bureaucrats fall for it, but Mr. Kash doesn't.
KT McFarland, former Trump national security adviser. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ms McFarland said Ms Patel's critics claim she will “take revenge”, but she declared those critics “wrong”.
“Remember, government officials always leave a paper record of their actions,” she said. “Kash will declassify these documents and tell the American people whether anonymous and faceless FBI and Justice Department officials abused their power in a two-tiered justice system that prosecutes political opponents and protects allies. You can expose them by letting them judge.”
Mr. Patel, an attorney, served as a public defender and national security prosecutor for the Department of Justice, where he tried numerous complex criminal cases. In all, Mr. Patel has served the U.S. government for 16 years.
His last role in the Trump administration was as chief of staff at the Pentagon.
Kash Patel speaks at former President Donald Trump's campaign rally at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley, Arizona, on October 13. (Getty Images)
“Kash Patel is the right person for this job,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told FOX News Digital.
Mr. Jordan said he worked closely with Mr. Patel when he served as a member of the executive staff of then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.
“He did a great job,” Jordan said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
And Sen.-elect Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who will soon arrive on the other side of the Capitol, told Fox News Digital that Patel “will shake up the FBI.”
“He has my support and I am voting to confirm him,” Banks said.
