Potential Trump FBI director pick boasted openly about plans to jail journalists
CNN is reporting that Trump loyalist Kash Patel is being strongly considered by the president-elect to be his next director of the FBI.
According to CNN, President-elect Donald Trump appears heavily inclined to oust current FBI Director Christopher Wray, the man whom he hired to replace former FBI Director James Comey in 2017 after Trump also fired him.
"The interest in Patel – after selecting Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence – speaks to Trump’s urge to fill top law enforcement and intelligence positions with supporters who may be open to carrying out his demands for specific investigations as well as inoculating the president against possible future investigations," writes CNN. "Trump has harbored a bitterness over his experience navigating a special counsel during his first term, followed by the four criminal indictments he faced after leaving office."
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However, Patel could pose a threat to more than just FBI agents who are reluctant to do Trump's bidding.
As CNN reported nearly two years ago, Patel openly boasted about plans to use the FBI to go after journalists should Trump ever return to power.
"We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media," he said in late 2023 during an appearance on Steve Bannon's "War Room" podcast. "Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections – we’re going to come after you... Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice."