US President-elect Donald Trump has announced Kash Patel, his long-time supporter, as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Trump shared a post praising Kash Patel on Truth Social and wrote, “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 described him as “an advocate for truth, accountability, and the constitution.”
In a statement following Trump's announcement, the FBI said, “Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats. Director Wray's focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with, and the people we do the work for.”
Who is Kash Patel?
Kashyap Pramod Vinod Kash Patel is an American attorney and the nominee to be the next FBI director. Previously, he had served as a U.S. National Security Council official, senior advisor to the acting Director of National Intelligence, and chief of staff to the acting United States secretary of defence during the first Trump presidency.
He was born in Garden City, New York, to Gujarati Indian parents who had immigrated to the United States from East Africa via Canada. Patel was raised as a Hindu.
Patel received a degree in criminal justice and history from the University of Richmond in 2002. Following which, he received a certificate in international law from University College London in 2004 and earned a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law in 2005.
Kash Patel has always been a believer in the President Donald Trump's agenda. In 2015, Kash emerged as one of Donald Trump’s most loyalists and he also played a key role during Trump's first presidency. It 2016, Patel served as a close aide to former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes. This led to a transition from his legal career to a political career and also earned him a reputation as a Trump loyalist.