Patel has previously called for stripping the FBI of its intelligence-gathering role and purging its ranks of any employee who refuses to support Trump's agenda.

US president-elect Donald Trump said he wanted former National Security official and firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to lead the FBI, signalling an intent to drive out the bureau's current director, Christopher Wray.

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.