A new round of turmoil at a law enforcement organization responsible with protecting the nation and looking into federal crimes is set in motion by President-elect Donald Trump’s shocking declaration on Saturday night that he will appoint Kash Patel as FBI director.
Patel is a staunch Trump supporter who intends to transform the organization he has been appointed to head. He stands in stark contrast to the present director, who advocates for a “keep calm and tackle hard” approach.
Trump is once again attempting to persuade the Senate to support his more controversial nominations by choosing Patel over more traditional candidates.
How is the current director of the FBI doing?
Technically, Christopher Wray has three years remaining in his ten-year term as director, having been appointed by Trump in 2017.
The purpose of that period is to guarantee that the leaders of the most important federal law enforcement organization in the country may function without being influenced or pressured by politics. As President Joe Biden has done with Wray, presidents have generally, though not always, kept the director who was in place when they took office.
However, it is also true that all FBI directors are appointed by the president; in fact, Wray was nominated following Trump’s dismissal of James Comey, the FBI chief he had inherited when he took office.
According to the statement, Wray has two options: wait to be dismissed when Trump takes office in January, or resign from the position, as Trump has reportedly requested. In any case, the choice of a replacement is a blatant sign that Wray’s time is running out. The FBI’s current deputy director would likely assume the acting director post in the event that Wray leaves before Patel can be approved.
Will the Senate be able to approve Patel?
Although the Senate may now be controlled by Republicans, his confirmation is not guaranteed.
Without a doubt, there are lawmakers who agree with Trump that federal law enforcement has been used as a weapon against conservatives and who support his call for a radical overhaul of the FBI, especially in light of federal investigations that led to two separate indictments against the president-elect.
During his confirmation hearings, Patel is expected to encounter strong skepticism due to his declared intentions to purge the government of Trump-hating conspirators and his assertions that he would close the FBI’s Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters in the nation’s capital and send its thousands of employees to hunt down criminals nationwide.
Senators who feel that the FBI and Justice Department should function independently of politics and not be entrusted with implementing a president’s personal agenda are likely to be troubled by Trump’s desire for a loyalist who is prepared to seek revenge against his alleged enemies.
Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, hinted at the possibly brutal confirmation battle that lies ahead on social media late Saturday: Kash Patel will be another test of the Senate’s role of advice and consent. Patel must demonstrate to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he is qualified and that, in spite of his prior claims, he will prioritize the protection of our country over a retaliatory political agenda.
Trump has also hinted at the possibility of advancing his nominees through the Senate through recess appointments.
Will Patel be able to fulfill his promises if he is confirmed?
Patel has made a number of bold statements regarding his ideas for the federal government, but the most of them would need support and agreement from other officials and would most likely face strong opposition. His assertion that he would lessen the FBI’s reach and power contrasts with the approach often adopted by the bureau’s directors, who consistently state that they prefer more resources rather than fewer.
He has discussed attempting to purge the administration of Trump-hating conspirators and pursuing, either legally or morally, those in the media who made false statements about Americans who assisted Joe Biden in rigging the presidential election.
According to the FBI’s own policies, criminal investigations must have a legitimate goal to identify or stop illegal conduct rather than being based on irrational or unfounded supposition. Additionally, the Justice Department is in charge of launching a lawsuit on behalf of the federal government or filing federal charges, even though the FBI handles investigations. Last week, Trump announced his intention to choose Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to the position.
Patel wants the Justice Department to reverse its present policy that forbids the covert collection of reporters’ phone data in leak investigations, as evidenced by his planned crackdown on government officials’ information disclosures to the media. Attorney General Merrick Garland put that policy into effect after it was made public that federal prosecutors had secured subpoenas for the phone data of journalists.
Patel has discussed separating the FBI’s intelligence-gathering activities, which are currently a significant part of the agency’s mandate, from the rest of its activities. It’s unclear how that pledge would be received at a time when the United States is dealing with what officials claim is an increased threat of terrorism, or whether he plans to follow through on it.
Additionally, he declares his intention to close the FBI’s illustrious Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters and relocate its staff nationwide. How it would seem in reality is still up in the air, but it’s unclear if that is a hyperbolic statement that expresses contempt for the deep state or something he would genuinely attempt to accomplish.
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