Trump’s nominee for FBI director, Kash Patel, promises a fight against the “Deep State”

Photo: AP Images

When President-elect Donald Trump announced he’d be replacing FBI director Christopher Wray, the news came with a double jolt. First, because Trump himself had appointed Wray to lead the Bureau in 2017, with an expectation to serve until 2027. Second, because the replacement was a name largely unknown outside Trump’s inner circle. Kash Patel? Who is this man? And how did he become so central in Trump world that he was offered such a consequential position?

Kashyap Pramod Vinod Patel — known simply as “Kash” — has climbed the ranks with a mission that resonates deeply in MAGA circles: the fight against the so-called “deep state.” But Kash’s transformation into a MAGA loyalist didn’t happen overnight.

The young attorney (he’s now 44) began his career as a public defender in Miami-Dade County, but he traded Florida’s warm climate for the political intensity of Washington, D.C. in 2014. He secured a position in the Justice Department’s National Security Division, focusing on counterterrorism, and by 2017, he was senior counsel on counterterrorism for the House Intelligence Committee. But Kash Patel’s breakthrough moment was just around the corner.

In 2017, Patel began advising Congressman Devin Nunes (R–CA), and in 2018, he authored the infamous “Nunes Memo.” The document accused the FBI of political bias, alleging it had relied on dubious sources to implicate Trump associates in the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Patel emerged as a staunch Trump defender amid a scandal that dominated headlines. The former president, then newly acquainted with Patel, appeared to take note.

Fight with Kash

Criticism of the FBI was nothing new in the Trump administration. On May 9, 2017, during Trump’s first term, James Comey became only the second FBI director in history to be fired. The stated reasons varied. Some claimed Comey mishandled sensitive cases, such as the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers. Others argued it was his refusal to bow to Trump’s demands in the Russia investigation that led to his ouster.

Fast-forward to June 7, 2017, when Trump, as president, announced Christopher Wray as his choice for Comey’s successor, calling him “an impeccably qualified individual,” and said Wray would be “a fierce guardian of the law and model of integrity.”

Trump envisioned Wray as the agent of change to reshape the Bureau. But things didn’t go as planned.

Meanwhile, Patel kept advancing within the MAGA universe. In February 2019, he began working for Trump’s National Security Council. By 2020, he had secured a post in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Media reports of his growing influence on the president began surfacing. In 2019, Politico reported that Patel had “unique access” to Trump and was advising him on Ukraine policy, despite his limited expertise in the region. Patel not only denied the allegations but sued Politico for $25 million, alleging defamation.

His clout within Trump’s inner circle was undeniable. During the 2020 campaign, Trump even declared that he would appoint Patel to lead either the CIA or the FBI. Then–attorney general William Barr responded pointedly, “Over my dead body.”

After Trump’s 2020 defeat, the Republican leader’s inner circle grew smaller, separating opportunists from loyalists. Patel proved to be among the most steadfast of the latter. Outside public office, he amplified MAGA rhetoric wherever he could. In interviews, he insisted the 2020 election was rigged and vowed “revenge” on those who allowed it to happen. He founded Fight with Kash, an organization branded with a “K$H” logo, selling pro-Trump merchandise purportedly to fund the families of January 6 Capitol riot detainees.

Patel also turned to publishing, authoring Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, in which he detailed his efforts to shield Trump from bureaucratic attempts to undermine his presidency. He even ventured into children’s literature with The Plot Against the King, portraying himself as “the wizard Kash,” defending “King Donald” from the scheming “Hillary Queenton.”

A Deep State Museum

Trump never relinquished his core grievance with the FBI. In Trump’s view, the Bureau’s politically motivated investigations, conducted under his appointee Christopher Wray, became emblematic of the “deep state.” That frustration reached a climax when, days ago, Wray announced his intention to resign once Biden leaves office. True to form, Trump wasted no time sharing his thoughts on Truth Social:

Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America. They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them. Kash Patel is the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History, and is committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again, and soon.

Patel, for his part, has echoed Trump’s fiery rhetoric. In a recent interview, his remark — “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media... we are coming after you!” — was widely interpreted as a threat to his critics.

Additionally, Kash himself vowed that once he takes office (he would be the first Indian-American in charge, and the youngest director ever of the Bureau), he will transform the FBI’s headquarters “into a deep state museum.” He declared his intention to shut down the Hoover Building and scatter its more than 7,000 employees “across America to chase down criminals.”

The backlash against Patel’s nomination has been swift. Critics argue he lacks the expertise to lead an institution designed to be independent of political pressure.

Former FBI assistant director Frank Figliuzzi warned, “I imagine on the first day in office, he’s going to say, ‘I need every file that has the word Trump in it.’ That should be a real concern.”

Patel’s confirmation is far from guaranteed. The Senate’s approval is required, and observers predict a contentious fight. Republicans are lining up behind the nominee: Senator John Cornyn of Texas remarked, “I assume that Mr. Patel will be confirmed as the next FBI director.” Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said, “I like Kash’s chances of getting confirmed.”

On the Democratic side, California’s newly elected Senator Adam Schiff charged that Kash Patel’s only credential for this high-profile role is his “blind obedience” to President Trump. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, meanwhile, expressed concern that Patel “might be more focused on a revenge mission than on a national security safety mission.”

But as a recent president once said, “Elections have consequences.” In November, Republicans regained control of the Senate with a 53–47 majority. However challenging it may be, Trump is likely to achieve his goal if he manages to get GOP senators in line. And if the Trump era has proven anything, it is that loyalty often trumps conventional qualifications. By that metric, Kash Patel might just be the ideal candidate for the job.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1041)