Who is Kash Patel? Know about Trump’s Indian-American pick for FBI chief

Washington: Popularly called a firebrand loyalist in the US, former National Security official and person of Indian-origin, Kash Patel is set to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Republican President Donald Trump announced his decision signalling an intent to drive out the bureau’s current director, Christopher Wray.

“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.” shared Trump.

Who is Kash Patel?

Kash Pramod Patel born in New York previously served as a US National Security Council official, senior advisor to the acting Director of National Intelligence, and chief of staff to the acting United States secretary of Defence during the first Trump presidency.

His parents are Indian Gujaratis who immigrated to the United States from East Africa. His father Dr Parik Patel worked for an aviation firm as a financial officer. Patel was raised as a Hindu and has said that he has always had a ‘very deep’ connection with India.

After earning his law degree, the 44-year-old worked as a public defender in Florida, representing clients in state and federal courts. He later joined the Department of Justice as a prosecutor, handling high-profile international terrorism cases across East Africa and the United States.

Patel frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for Donald Trump in his presidential bid against Democrat Kamala Harris.

What were his roles?

1. Kash Patel served as the Chief of Staff to the Department of Defense (DoD) and Deputy Assistant to President Trump. As the Chief of Staff at DoD, his responsibilities included implementing the Secretary’s no-fail mission with 3 million plus employees, operating a $740 billion budget and $2 trillion in assets.

2. Kash served as Deputy Director of National Intelligence where he oversaw all 17 Intelligence Community (IC) agencies, and prioritized intelligence collection to focus on hard targets and global threats.

3. He led President Trump’s counterterrorism mission as Deputy Assistant to the President on the National Security Council (NSC) and helped President Trump with his top priorities including eliminating Al-Qa`ida and ISIS senior leadership and safely repatriating dozens of American hostages. As the top counterterrorism official at the White House, Kash was responsible for creating and implementing our nation’s policy to safeguard the homeland by overseeing the interagency implementation of the national CT strategy.

4. Kash served as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) where he spearheaded the investigation into the Russian active measures campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election (Russia Gate).

Patel brought radical changes to FBI

Patel is known for bringing radical changes to the FBI and was a fierce and vocal critic of the bureau’s work as it investigated ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

He’s called for dramatically reducing its footprint and limiting its authority, as well as going after government officials who disclose information to reporters.

Trump’s pick to replace Christopher Wray

Patel has for years been a loyal ally to Trump, finding common cause over their shared scepticism of government surveillance and the ‘deep state’ — a pejorative catchall used by Trump to refer to government bureaucracy.

He was part of a small group of supporters during Trump’s recent criminal trial in New York who accompanied him to the courthouse, where he told reporters that Trump was the victim of an “unconstitutional circus.”

That close bond would depart from the modern-day precedent of FBI directors looking to keep presidents at arm’s length.

Former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump in May 2017, memorably recoiled when Trump asked him during a private dinner to pledge his loyalty to him. And Wray, who had no personal connection to Trump when he was picked to replace Comey, broke with Trump on different hot-button issues and served as FBI director during investigations into Trump that ultimately led to his indictment.

An outspoken critic

Patel first came to prominence in Trump’s orbit as an outspoken critic of the FBI’s investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Patel played a role in legal investigations into Trump

He appeared in 2022 before the Washington grand jury investigating Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida after receiving immunity for his testimony.

He also testified at a Colorado court hearing related to Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the run-up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. Patel, who at the time of the riot was chief of staff to the then-acting defence secretary, testified that Trump had pre-emptively authorized 10,000 to 20,000 troops to deploy days before the attack. But a Colorado court later found that Patel was “not a credible witness” on the topic.

Branded socks, children’s books and a ‘Covid-19 vaccine detoxification system

Shortly after Trump left office, Patel launched ‘Fight with Kash’, an organization that funds defamation lawsuits and peddles a wide variety of merchandise, including branded socks and other clothing with the “K$H” logo.

Patel has also turned to publishing. He wrote a book called Government Gangsters, which is part memoir and part screed against the so-called deep state. Patel teamed with Bannon to release a film version. Patel has also authored children’s books that lionize Trump — “The Plot Against the King” features a thinly veiled Hillary Clinton as the villain going after “King Donald” while Kash plays a wizard who thwarts her plans.

He has been a pitchman for a variety of products marketed to Trump supporters. One dietary supplement he’s promoted claims to be a Covid-19 vaccine ‘detoxification system.’

Records show that Patel has earned hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from consulting for Trump-related entities, including a political action committee and the company that owns Truth Social.

Patel helped produce “And Justice For All,” a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner sung by a group of men incarcerated for their role in the Capitol riot. He’s been a regular guest on right-wing podcasts and live-stream online shows hosted by Bannon, Tim Pool, Benny Johnson and others.

Support from his father

His father Dr Parik Patel turns out to be a great support system for him on social media. Surprisingly, Patel joined X just a day ago on Sunday.

In a post on X, his father wrote, “From directing my motel to becoming director of the FBI. so proud of my son Kashyap. The establishment HATES that my son Kashu, an Indian immigrant who grew up helping me in my motel, could rise the ranks and become director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.”

In a series of posts, his father posted tweets speaking against those who rejected his son.

“If the senate chooses to reject my son, I will call every Patel in America to go on strike until the senate gives in,” he wrote in a post on X.