Kash Patel sworn in as new FBI director, calls it ‘greatest honour’

President Donald Trump praised Patel, telling reporters, “I think he’ll go down as the best ever at that position,” adding that FBI agents “love this guy.” The event was attended by Republican lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, as reported by Associated Press (AP).

Controversy over appointment

Patel takes charge of the FBI at a turbulent time. In recent weeks, the Justice Department has removed several senior officials and asked for the names of thousands of agents involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Democrats have raised concerns that Patel, a known Trump ally, could misuse his position to target the former president’s political opponents. They pointed to past comments where Patel suggested he would “come after” government and media figures he accused of conspiring against Trump.

At his confirmation hearing last month, Patel attempted to ease fears, stating that he would uphold the Constitution and had no interest in revenge. However, in his speech on Friday, he accused journalists of writing “fake, malicious, slanderous and defamatory” reports about him.

Changes at the FBI

Many Republicans believe Patel is the right person to fix what they see as political bias in law enforcement, particularly during President Joe Biden’s administration. Patel has spoken about reducing the FBI’s presence in Washington and refocusing on traditional crime-fighting rather than intelligence gathering.

He stressed that both national security and tackling violent crime were top priorities. “Anyone that wishes to do harm to our way of life and our citizens, here and abroad, will face the full wrath of the DOJ and FBI,” Patel said. “If you seek to hide in any corner of this country or planet, we will put on the world’s largest manhunt and we will find you”, reported by AP.

Replacing Christopher Wray

Patel replaces Christopher Wray, who was first appointed by Trump in 2017 but stepped down at the end of Biden’s presidency. Wray had long been at odds with Trump, particularly after FBI agents searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in 2022 as part of an investigation into classified documents.

Although FBI directors typically serve ten-year terms to maintain independence from politics, Trump has now replaced two – James Comey in 2017 and Wray in 2025.

(With inputs from AP)

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