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.
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.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
