Now that Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general has been forced to drop out following Senate confirmation concerns, the president-elect is reportedly taking a more strategic approach to installing a MAGA loyalist among the FBI’s top leadership.
Trump has long wanted to get rid of FBI Director Christopher Wray, who Trump himself nominated for a 10-year term back in 2017. He considered firing Wray in 2020 and has planned for months to get rid of him if re-elected.
One of his top choices has been his long-time adviser and Steven Bannon ally Kash Patel, who frequently rails against the “deep state” and has come up with a plan to strip the bureau of its independence from the White House, according to the Guardian.
ADVERTISEMENT
But Senate Republicans have been reluctant to “disrupt” the agency by confirming a Trump loyalist committed to investigating the incoming president’s political enemies and purging career civil servants, according to CNN.
Now, Trump is seriously considering a plan to put a more Senate-friendly candidate in the top spot and make Patel second in command, CNN reported Thursday.
As the FBI’s deputy director, Patel would help run the bureau’s day-to-day but would not be subject to Senate confirmation. Meanwhile, Trump is reportedly considering Mike Roberts, an ex-FBI special agent and former Michigan congressman, for the director role.
Even “just” giving Patel the second-highest job would imperil the FBI’s mission, former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe told CNN.
“It’s inconceivable to me that an outsider with no experience in the organization, no knowledge of the work and the scope of authority that’s involved there could perform adequately,” he said.
After his win, Trump began announcing Cabinet nominees—including his failed attorney general pick Matt Gaetz—with apparently little regard for whether they could survive the Senate confirmation process.
Gaetz’s nomination was derailed as details emerged about a House investigation into the former congressman’s alleged sexual misconduct, which he denies. He also had a habit of trashing the very senators whose votes he would need for conformation.
The Rogers/Patel plan, on the other hand, could appease both more traditional Senate Republicans and MAGA agitators anxious to see their allies in positions of power, CNN reports.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Trump transition team for comment.
