Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, has joined social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday—racking up hundreds of thousands of followers in less than a day from when he was nominated by the president-elect.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote in his announcement on Truth Social on Saturday evening.
Trump cited Patel’s “pivotal role” in “uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” as one of the major factors in picking him for the critical role.
“This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI,” the president-elect concluded.
With a short and simple message on Sunday, Patel wrote, “Hello @X” announcing his presence on the social media platform, which is owned by Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump’s. As of Sunday evening, Patel’s X post received 4.2 million views, 97,000 likes, 13,000 reposts and 19,000 comments among his 262,000 followers.
Patel had also reposted a message from the Trump War Room X account, which said, “Meet your next FBI Director, Kash Patel.” The post had a screenshot of Patel’s accomplishments.
In response to Trump’s nomination, Patel wrote on Truth Social: “It is the honor of a lifetime to be nominated by President Trump to serve as Director of the FBI. Together, we will restore integrity, accountability, and equal justice to our justice system and return the FBI to its rightful mission: protecting the American people.”
Newsweek reached out to Kash Patel’s communications team by email on Sunday afternoon for comment.
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Patel will replace Trump’s FBI director from his first administration, Christopher Wray, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Trump also fired FBI Director James Comey months after taking office in 2017 even though directors of the agency usually serve 10-year terms after confirmation. However, directors are able to resign or be dismissed by incoming presidents.
Wray, whose term ends in 2027, would be two years shy of his term if he’s replaced by Patel following Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
In a previous statement to Newsweek on Sunday, in reference to Wray, the FBI said: “Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans from a growing array of threats. Director Wray’s focus remains on the men and women of the FBI, the people we do the work with, and the people we do the work for.”
Trump, meanwhile, supposedly fired Comey for hurting the agency’s “reputation and credibility” and for how he handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server—a major sticking point from the 2016 presidential election when Clinton ran against Trump as the Democratic nominee.
A staunch supporter of the president-elect, Patel served as a federal public defender and prosecutor before having various roles in Trump’s first administration, including chief of staff of the Department of Defense (DOD), deputy director of national intelligence and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council.
Patel has also been one of the most vocal critics of the FBI over the past eight years, particularly on the topics of alleged bias and overreach when it comes to investigations involving Trump.
He also has championed Trump’s rhetoric about a “deep state” involving the FBI and other institutions, referring to the alleged existence of a covert network within the government working against elected leaders and public interest.
In his book, Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, which is part memoir, part exposé, Patel calls for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of the Justice Department.
