Dem pundits freak out over Trump’s nom of Kash Patel for FBI director

MSNBC political analyst Tim Miller described Patel as “the most dangerous nominee that we’ve seen yet to our democracy.” Other commentators on the network echoed concerns by alleging that Patel’s leadership would undermine longstanding constraints on the FBI, with Tom Nichols calling the pick “preposterous and yet extraordinarily dangerous.”

Frank Figliuzzi, the FBI’s former assistant director for counterterrorism, criticized Patel’s stated intention to reduce the FBI headquarters' workforce by 7,000 employees, calling it “ignorant.”

“If he does want to empty out headquarters and send people to the field and lose that global capacity and view, we’re talking about making America less safe, not more safe,” Figliuzzi argued on MSNBC.

Figliuzzi went on to claim that Trump could replace attorneys in districts across the country and, if he were to interfere with FBI field office operations and management, the country could see “a total hijacking of the federal law enforcement system.” He further said that this “hijacking” would see the FBI targeting Trump’s enemies instead of focusing on problems like gangs or corruption.

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe also weighed in on the nomination, comparing Patel’s potential leadership to the FBI’s “pre-Watergate” era. "It's a terrible development for the men and women of the FBI and also for the nation that depends on a highly functioning, professional, independent FBI,” McCabe said, adding that Trump would use the FBI for his “political agenda.”

Despite the outcry, Patel brings significant government experience to the role. During Trump’s first administration, Patel served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. A former trial attorney, Patel has tried over 60 jury cases, a fact Trump emphasized in his announcement.

In his nomination announcement, Trump promised sweeping reforms under Patel’s leadership, saying that under his administration the bureau would “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.” Trump added that Patel will work with soon-to-be Attorney General Pam Bondi, to “bring back fidelity, bravery, and integrity to the FBI."