Washington, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump drew inspiration from Bollywood to extend his congratulations to Kash Patel, who has been confirmed as the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On Friday, Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff, celebrated Patel's appointment with a song featuring Ranveer Singh.
Patel secured the position with a slim 51-49 vote in the Senate, with all Senate Democrats opposing his confirmation. Scavino took to X to express his congratulations, stating, "Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, @Kash_Patel."
In his post, Scavino shared a dance video set to the song 'Malhari' from the film 'Bajirao Mastani,' in which Ranveer Singh's image was humorously replaced with that of Kash Patel.
Scavino also noted, "Moments ago in the Oval Office. Congratulations to the Ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kash Patel," adding that President Trump had officially signed the commission. He encouraged followers to connect with Patel on his new X account: @FBIDirectorKash.
The White House expressed its support for Patel's confirmation, highlighting it as a significant move in advancing President Trump's agenda to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law. They further stated that the FBI would now concentrate on its fundamental mission of administering justice impartially and without bias.
The White House announced on X that the confirmation of @FBIDirectorKash Patel as FBI Director represents a significant advancement in President Trump's efforts to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law. The post further stated, "The FBI will prioritize serving the American public and will refocus on its fundamental mission: to enforce justice impartially and without bias."
According to Al Jazeera, Republican senators Lisa Murkowski from Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine joined 47 Democrats in opposing what critics have labeled a perilous nomination for the FBI leadership. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois remarked, "Mr. Patel's history shows he is dangerous, inexperienced, and dishonest. He is unfit to serve as an effective FBI director."
After his Senate confirmation as FBI director, Patel, a close ally of President Trump, expressed his appreciation and pledged to transform the agency into one that is "transparent, accountable, and dedicated to justice."
At 44 years old, Patel thanked President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support, reiterating his commitment to restoring public confidence in the FBI.
Despite facing opposition from Senators Murkowski and Collins, Patel garnered support from the majority of the Republican Party, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had previously opposed other Trump nominees, as reported by NBC News. Trump praised Patel on Truth Social, stating, "Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' advocate who has dedicated his career to exposing corruption, defending justice, and safeguarding the American people."
Kashyap Patel, from Nevada, has been nominated by Trump to serve as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a decade. This nomination comes as a replacement for Christopher Wray, who was initially appointed by Trump for a 10-year term during his first term but was effectively removed when Patel was named as his successor, according to Politico.
Patel previously held the position of Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller. He also served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, where he played a key role in implementing several of President Donald J. Trump's major initiatives, including the dismantling of ISIS and Al-Qa'ida leadership, notably figures like al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, as well as the safe return of numerous American hostages. Additionally, Patel was the Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of National Intelligence, overseeing the operations of all 17 intelligence agencies and delivering the President's Daily Briefing.
As outlined in his Department of Defense profile, Patel was responsible for leading the Secretary's mission at the Department of Defense, managing the executive staff, and advising the Secretary on all operational matters.
Patel's career prior to his tenure at the NSC included serving as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). In this role, he led the investigation into the Russian active measures campaign aimed at influencing the 2016 presidential election. Additionally, he managed sensitive programs for the Intelligence Community and U.S. Special Operations Forces, while also advocating for legislation to secure full funding for the multi-billion dollar budgets that support intelligence and counterterrorism efforts globally.
He began his professional journey as a public defender, handling numerous complex cases that included murder, drug trafficking, and intricate financial crimes in jury trials across both state and federal courts.
Born in 1980 in New York to Gujarati parents who emigrated from Uganda to Canada before settling in the United States, Patel completed his undergraduate education at the University of Richmond. He then returned to New York to obtain his law degree, along with a Certificate in International Law from University College London Faculty of Laws in the UK.
