President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he plans to name Kash Patel as FBI director, who would replace the current FBI chief Chris Wray.
In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump called Patel “a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
For Patel to take the post, current FBI Director Chris Wray would have to voluntarily vacate the position or be fired by Trump if he is to be replaced before his term ends in 2027. One source previously told CBS News the Trump team was aware of the complexities involved in ousting Wray.
Trump nominated Wray in 2017 for the 10-year term after firing James Comey.
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Patel served in intelligence and defense roles in Trump’s first term, including chief of staff to the secretary of defense.
Wray and the FBI’s leadership became targets of Trump’s enduring ire in 2022, when FBI agents executed a court-authorized search warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. The search exposed what had been an ongoing federal probe into Trump’s handling of classified records after he left office.
Special counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, ultimately charged Trump with dozens of counts, including the illegal retention of national defense information and obstruction, as a result of the investigation. All the charges were dismissed by a federal judge earlier this year. Trump pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
If confirmed by the Senate, Patel would be the third FBI director to work under a Trump administration and would take over the nation’s chief federal law enforcement apparatus amid years of intense criticism from the president-elect and his allies on Capitol Hill. While Wray’s departure from the job was largely expected, Trump’s announcement about replacing Wray before his 10-year term was to end is sure to reverberate throughout the bureau’s rank-and-file. Presidents, however, have the power to force them out of the role and many previous directors have not served their full terms.
Patel would report directly to the attorney general of the United States — Trump’s current pick for the post is former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. The president-elect announced her nomination after former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination because his confirmation prospects looked dim as a bipartisan group of senators raised concerns about his past conduct and a Congressional ethics report. Gaetz — a staunch critic of the Justice Department and FBI — has denied wrongdoing.
Trump’s pick for Attorney General and FBI Director are likely to be tasked with potential reforms and mass policy overhauls of the agencies that have long been targets of the president-elect.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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