As President-elect Donald Trump announces his choices for Trump administration 2.0, some are proving harder for his allies to justify than others.
On Saturday, Trump announced via Truth Social that he planned to appoint MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to head up the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Trump wrote in his usual over exaggerated style:
"I am proud to announce that Kashyap 'Kash' Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People."
"He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution. Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council."
"Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials."
"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. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI."
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
People from across the political spectrum took issue with Trump’s choice.
Former National Security Advisor for Trump, John Bolton, released a statement saying he would advise the Senate to reject Patel, comparing him to a member of Joseph Stalin's inner circle.
Bolton stated:
"Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be his [Lavrentiy] Beria. Fortunately, the FBI is not the NKVD [Stalin's Soviet secret police, the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs]."
"The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0."
During Stalin's reign, Beria organized and implemented widespread surveillance, repression, ethnic purges, and terror c9ntributing to the deaths of over 3 million Soviets.
But Fox News pleaded the case for Patel on Sunday.
The hosts of Fox & Friends Sunday touted Patel's extensive qualifications. Then they posted a graphic with only two bullet points:
- Served as senior director for counterterrorism at National Security Council.
- Served as chief of staff for acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, from 2020-2021.
Social media found Fox's endorsement lacking.
@finalreckoning/Bluesky
Former MTV's Real World San Francisco housemate and current Fox News employee Rachel Campos-Duffy said:
"They’re trying to say he’s not qualified, the guy’s qualifications are more than enough to run this agency."
As if to seal the deal, she added:
"If Andrew McCabe is unhappy with this appointment, Americans should feel pretty good about it!"
McCabe—former Deputy Director of the FBI—told CNN:
"The installation, or the nomination I guess we should say at this point of Kash Patel as FBI director, can only possibly be a plan to disrupt, to dismantle, to distract the FBI and to possibly use it as a tool for the president’s political agenda."
"The fact that Kash Patel is profoundly unqualified for this job is not even like a matter for debate."
"If you enter into that position with nothing more than a desire to disrupt and destroy the organization, there is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do."
McCabe pointed to the J. Edgar Hoover era when the FBI was a tool that "struck fear in the hearts of Americans across the spectrum."
He added:
"...because the director operated at the direction of presidents to collect political intelligence and to utilize the legal authorities, the investigative authorities of the FBI to terrorize and intimidate Americans."
"So the question is, is that where we’re going back to with this nomination? I would argue that Kash Patel would be the perfect person for Donald Trump to nominate if that’s, in fact, his intent for the FBI."
People agreed with McCabe and Bolton over Campos-Duffy.
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@covie_93/Threads
@covie_93/Threads
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Patel has previously vowed to strip the FBI of its intelligence-gathering role, purge its ranks of any employee who refuses to support Trump's agenda, ranted repeatedly about the so-called "Deep State," and vowed to punish Trump "enemies" including journalists.
An avid Deep State conspiracy theorist, Patel once said:
"The FBI has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken."
Patel said on the Shawn Ryan Show:
"The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I’d break that component out of it."
"I’d shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one, and reopen it the next day as a museum of the Deep State."
