ISTANBUL 

The US Senate has confirmed Kash Patel as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

On Thursday, Patel secured Senate approval for a 10-year term following a 51-49 vote.

A former aide on the House Intelligence Committee, Patel has been a vocal critic of government surveillance and has often expressed skepticism toward the so-called "deep state," a term frequently used by President Donald Trump to describe elements of the federal bureaucracy. His confirmation has sparked concerns about his experience and judgment.

Patel previously held various roles in Trump’s first administration from 2017 to 2021, worked on Capitol Hill, and served as both a federal prosecutor in Washington and a public defender in Florida. A staunch Trump ally, he has consistently echoed the president’s distrust of government oversight. His support for Trump was evident during the president’s recent criminal trial in New York, where he was among a small group of allies at the courthouse, referring to the proceedings as an “unconstitutional circus.”  

Controversial statements on FBI, media

Patel’s confirmation coincides with significant changes at the FBI. Since Trump assumed office last month, an Elon Musk associate has joined the bureau, raising concerns about partisan influence. Additionally, the head of the Washington Field Office — responsible for investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot — was removed, along with six senior officials and several field office leaders across the country.

Patel’s nomination has also drawn scrutiny over his past remarks about the FBI and the media.

In a YouTube interview with former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, Patel stated he would “shut down” the FBI headquarters, convert it into a “museum of the deep state,” and reassign its 7,000 employees to “go chase down criminals” and “go be cops.”

A 2023 podcast interview with Steve Bannon resurfaced following his nomination, in which Patel made remarks about journalists. He said: “We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”

Patel made these comments in reference to the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden. When questioned about the statement in a February interview with NBC, Patel defended his remarks, stating: “That full quote kind of speaks for itself. It was three words taken out of two sentences. But I basically said we’re going to use the Constitution and the courts of law to go after people criminally and civilly—if they broke the law.”

NBC also reported that when asked about Patel’s stance on journalists, a Trump transition spokesperson supported him, stating: “Kash Patel is going to deliver on President Trump’s mandate to restore integrity to the FBI and return the agency to its core mission of protecting America. Kash is committed to safeguarding Americans’ First Amendment rights, unlike Joe Biden who weaponized the DOJ (Department of Justice) to target journalists.”  

Past investigations, legal involvement

Patel became a well-known figure in Trump’s inner circle for his opposition to the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

As a staff member on the House Intelligence Committee, led by Trump ally Rep. Devin Nunes, Patel co-authored a report alleging that the Justice Department committed errors in obtaining a surveillance warrant for a former Trump campaign adviser.

Patel has also been involved in multiple legal matters related to Trump.

In 2022, he testified before a Washington grand jury about Trump’s handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, receiving immunity for his testimony, according to The Guardian.

He also testified in a Colorado court regarding Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which ultimately led to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. At the time, Patel was chief of staff to the acting defense secretary and claimed that Trump had preemptively authorized the deployment of 10,000 to 20,000 troops before the attack.

However, as reported by Just Security, the Colorado court ruled that Patel was "not a credible witness."  

Books, business ventures, Trump ties

Patel has leveraged his connections with Trump for various books, media projects, and business ventures.

He authored Government Gangsters, which combines personal memoir with criticism of the "deep state."

Additionally, he wrote children’s books portraying Trump in a favorable light, including The Plot Against the King, in which a character resembling Hillary Clinton is depicted as a villain attempting to harm "King Donald," while Patel plays the role of a wizard who intervenes.

Beyond publishing, Patel has promoted products marketing Trump supporters, including a dietary supplement claiming to be a COVID-19 vaccine “detoxification system.”

On Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform, Patel promoted the supplements in February and April, writing: “Spike the Vax, order this homerun kit to rid your body of the harms of the vax.”

According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing in June, Patel was receiving an annual payment of $120,000 as an independent contractor for Trump Media & Technology Group under a contract that ended in March.