Donald Trump picks anti-deep state, confidante Kash Patel to lead FBI

New York-born Patel has his roots in Gujarat. However, his parents are from East Africa – his mother is from Tanzania and his father is from Uganda. He has served as the Chief of Staff for the Defence Secretary during the earlier Trump administration.

After missing out on the position of CIA Director, Indian American Kash Patel was nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday for the powerful position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), making him the highest-ranking Indian-American in his incoming administration.

Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns. He posted, “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."

Trump further said Patel had played a pivotal role in uncovering "the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax," standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution. 

Kash Patel, as Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defence 

It must be noted that during the earlier term of Donald Trump, Patel served as chief of staff to the Acting United States Secretary of Defense for the last few weeks. Recalling his services back then, Trump said, “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,” Trump said.

Patel, a deep state critic

He is also known as a deep state critic. He wrote the book 'Government Gangster' which argued that there is a severe lack of accountability. The book talks about the deep state and is highly critical of the US bureaucracy, which he claims is highly infiltrated or dominated by lawbreakers.

Responding to a question, Patel has said in his interview with PTI that the Biden Administration and the deep state are interwoven. "The Biden administration is filled by these corrupt government gangsters who I list in the back of my book by name and title. It's not a Democrat or Republican thing. It's an apolitical thing that these individuals, whether they're Trump appointees like Christopher W Ray or Biden appointees like Merrick Garland, they are led to this two tier system of justice where they weaponise government and intelligence and law enforcement to target either conservatives or Trump supporters or call people on January 6th, domestic terrorists," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)