Kash Patel takes charge as FBI director; here’s what he said on bringing ‘major changes in FBI’

Kash Patel was sworn in as the FBI director, describing the opportunity to lead the nation’s top federal law enforcement agency as the “greatest honour” of his life. 

“I think he’ll go down as the best ever at that position,” President Donald Trump told reporters Friday ahead of the White House swearing-in on Friday, which was conducted by Attorney General Pam Bondi and attended by Republican supporters in Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, as reported by the Associated Press.

Trump added that the “agents love this guy”.

Here’s what Patel said:

1. “Anyone who thinks the American Dream is dead, look right here. You’re talking to a first-generation Indian kid who is about to lead the law enforcement community in the greatest nation on God’s Earth.” Patel said during his remark after being sworn in as FBI director. ‘American Dream’ is a term which generally refers that anyone can achieve success through hard work in the United States.

2. Patel further promised to ensure accountability within and outside the FBI, during his tenure. He also said that there would be “rigorous constitutional oversight starting this weekend.”

3. Further taking a jibe at American media, Patel mentioned that he’s their ‘target’ and alleged that “fake, malicious, slanderous, and defamatory” contents have been written against him. “I know the media is in here. If you have a target, that target is right here (points to himself). It’s not the men and women in the FBI. You have written everything you possibly can about me that is fake, malicious, slanderous, and defamatory. Keep it coming, bring it on and leave the men and the women in the FBI out of it. They deserve better,” Patel said.

4. Noting the rise in crime incidents across the nation, Patel assured that his administration will take strong action against it. “A hundred thousand people last year raped, a hundred thousand people died of CCP Fentanyl overdose and heroin, 17 thousand homicides. Violent crime is out of control. We can not have the United States of America where that is acceptable. Where someone dies every 30 minutes, or someone Od’s every seven or someone is raped every six that cannot be allowed to continue,” Patel said.

5. Patel further warned that the FBI will take stringent actions on anyone who harms American citizens, will “face the full wrath of Department of Justice and FBI”, adding, “If you seek to hide in any corner of this country or any corner of this planet we will put out the world largest manhunt and we will find you.”

Kash Patel’s challenges

Patel will take over an FBI facing significant turmoil, as the Justice Department has recently forced out several senior officials and made an unusual request for the names of thousands of agents involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Also Read: New FBI Director Kash Patel’s Gujrati roots: know about his family’s journey from India to Uganda to America

AP reported that Democrats have raised concerns about his appointment, fearing that Patel may act as a loyalist to Trump and misuse the FBI’s law enforcement powers to target the president’s opponents. They have pointed to his previous comments, including a suggestion made before his nomination that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” in the government and media.

Patel sought to assuage those concerns at his confirmation hearing last month, saying he intended to follow the Constitution and had no interest in pursuing retribution, though he also said at his swearing-in Friday that reporters had written “fake, malicious, slanderous and defamatory” stories about him.

Also Read: Kash Patel as Bajirao: Donald Trump aide uses Bollywood meme to congratulate new FBI chief

Republicans angry over what they see as law enforcement bias against conservatives during the Democratic Biden administration, as well as criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the right person for the job.

“Major changes in FBI”

Patel has spoken of his desire to implement major changes at the FBI, including a reduced footprint in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau’s traditional crime-fighting duties rather than the intelligence-gathering work that has come to define its mandate over the past two decades as national security threats have proliferated.

He said Friday that the FBI’s “national security mission” was equally as important as its efforts to fight violent crime and drug overdoses.

“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 and we will decide your end-state.”

Also Read: Kash Patel orchestrating FBI ‘purge’ actions before confirmation? Explosive claims emerge

A former Justice Department counterterrorism prosecutor, Patel was chosen in November to replace Christopher Wray, who had been appointed by Trump in 2017. Wray resigned at the end of the Biden administration to allow for the appointment of his successor. Wray’s tenure was marked by ongoing friction with Trump, particularly after FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in August 2022 for classified documents, leading to one of two federal investigations that resulted in indictments against Trump, which were later dismissed after his election victory, AP reported.

FBI directors are typically given 10-year terms to shield them from political influence and prevent them from becoming loyal to any one president or administration. However, Trump dismissed the FBI director he inherited, James Comey, after over three years on the job, and replaced Wray after he had served more than seven years.