Who Is Kashyap 'Kash' Patel? The New FBI Director In Trump 2.0

Indian-origin Kashyap "Kash" Patel has said vowed to "rebuild" the trust of people in the Federal bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he was confirmed by the US Senate to lead the law-enforcement agency.

After Senate confirmation, Patel thanked US President Donald Trump and Attorney General Bondi for their "unwavering confidence and support".

"I am honored to be confirmed as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for your unwavering confidence and support," Patel said on X.

"My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI. Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Bureau and our partners, we will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of. And to those who seek to harm Americans—consider this your warning. We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet. Mission First. America Always. Let’s get to work," he added.

Known for his loyalty to Trump, Patel has frequently advocated for dismantling what he terms the "deep state" in the US government.

"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 wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.

Trump credited Patel for his significant contributions during his first presidential term, including efforts to expose the "Russia Hoax."

Patel's nomination also signals Mr Trump's dissatisfaction with the current FBI leadership under Christopher Wray, whom he had appointed in 2017.

Trump has repeatedly criticised Christopher Wray’s management of the FBI, especially regarding probes involving him.

During Wray’s tenure, the FBI conducted a search at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate over classified documents, drawing sharp backlash from the former president and his allies.

The 44-year-old Patel has openly discussed his ambition to restructure the FBI.

Speaking on the conservative Shawn Ryan Show, he outlined bold proposals, including dismantling the FBI's intelligence-gathering operations and repurposing its headquarters.

"The biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops. I'd break that component out of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state," Patel declared.

"And I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals. Go be cops. You're cops. Go be cops," he said.

Working under Trump’s proposed Attorney General Pam Bondi, Patel would aim to restore what Trump has defined as the FBI’s original ethos of Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity.

Born in Queens in 1980, New York, to Gujarati parents who emigrated from East Africa, Patel earned a law degree before serving as a public defender in Florida, where he represented clients in state and federal courts.

He later joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, handling high-profile international terrorism cases across East Africa and the United States.

Raised in a Hindu family, his senior-yearbook quote, attributed to Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel, stated: "Racism is man's gravest threat - the maximum of hatred for a minimum reason."

Patel’s efforts drew the notice of Congressman Devin Nunes, then leading the House Intelligence Committee, who appointed him as senior counsel for counterterrorism.

During Trump’s first term, Patel gained recognition as a key figure in the House Republicans’ inquiry into the FBI’s handling of the Russia investigation.

He notably helped draft a contentious GOP memo alleging bias in the FBI’s 2016 Trump Presidential campaign probe.

Patel further influenced Trump’s national security policies as Chief of Staff to the Acting Defence Secretary, though he faced allegations of serving as an unauthorised backchannel to Ukraine.

The Atlantic describes Patel as a man "who will do anything for Trump," noting his rapid ascent in the Trump administration where he joined as a 40-year-old lawyer in 2019.

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