First Indian-origin chief Kash Patel says he will create transparent, accountable FBI

Kash Patel, who is the first India-origin man to hold the post, said he is committed to restoring public trust in FBI.

"The FBI has a storied legacy—from the 'G-Men' to safeguarding our nation in the wake of 9/11," Patel wrote on X.

"The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice," he said.

"The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today," Patel said.

He said: "My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI."

Patel said he would work to rebuild the FBI into an agency that American people can be proud of. 

Strong Warning

Sending a strong warning to those aiming to harm Americans, he said: "And to those who seek to harm Americans—consider this your warning. We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet."

US Senate Votes

The US Senate voted on Thursday to confirm Indian-origin Kash Patel as FBI director, thus choosing a loyalist of President Donald Trump to head the nation’s top law enforcement agency.

According to Reuters, Patel was confirmed by a 51-49 vote.

The news agency reported that two moderate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, joined the opposition Democrats in opposing Patel, but it was not enough to overcome broad Republican support.

According to CNN, the nomination faced intense scrutiny from Democrats on Capitol Hill who believed Patel would be used by Trump against his political enemies.

According to the US media, during his Senate confirmation hearing, Patel said there would be “no politicization” at the FBI and “no retributive actions” and accused Democrats of cherry-picking excerpts of old comments.

Trump Loyalist

A Trump loyalist, Patel has championed the cause to dismantle what he refers to as the "deep state" within the government.

"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 a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, earlier on Dec 1 last year.