Donald Trump did a podcast interview with Trump loyalist Steve Bannon in 2023 after announcing his pick for FBI Director Kash Patel. spread far and wide.
In a recording last year, Patel claimed how he would deal with journalists if he came to power.
“We will go after people in the media who lied about American citizens and helped rig Joe Biden’s presidential election.” Patel said later. “Whether it’s criminal or civil, we’ll figure it out.”
Now that Patel is vying to lead one of the US government’s most powerful agencies, the question of whether he will actually “go after” journalists is a concern on both sides of the aisle, and is likely to become a major issue. If he gets Senate confirmation, one senator calls his remarks “scumbag.” Patel admitted he had to publicly clean up the revelation, according to a Trump ally who spoke to him.
In a brief interview with NBC News in February, Patel laughed off what he thought were hell-bent on attacking journalists and even praised them as “irreplaceable.” He backtracked on his tough talk with Bannon, apparently saying he believed his words had been blown out of proportion and that he meant his threat would only apply to people who break the law.
“I would love for you to go back and get the whole quote, and thank you for letting me talk about it,” Patel told NBC News. “This full quote speaks for itself. Three words were removed from two sentences. But I basically said we’re going to use the Constitution and the courts to go after people criminally and civilly if they break the law.
He emphasized that the limit violated the law and accused some “people in the media” of coordinating with the government to spread false information about Trump.
“I have a problem with that,” Patel said. “And I think there needs to be some form of accountability for that. I don’t know what that looks like.”
He praised the journalists.
“I have always said this, I think journalists are indispensable. For example, who else is going to tell the world what’s going on in Washington or anywhere else? he said.
Still, these statements are unlikely to assuage the concerns of those who view Patel as an individual. Trump’s promise of revenge against his enemies after taking office. Critics fear Patel’s fierce loyalty to Trump and his history of embracing conspiracy theories, such as the bogus claim that the “deep state” is trying to topple the Trump presidency. His actions at the FBI. They point to his deep investment in the MAGA movement as evidence of his motivations and how steeped in politics, which both Democrats and Republicans say they want to keep out of law enforcement.
Trump’s selection of Patel goes against the post-Watergate practice of FBI directors serving 10-year terms. The long-term goal is to ensure that the FBI does not serve the political interests of a particular president. Current FBI Director Christopher Uray’s term is set to expire in 2027.
one interview this year On a YouTube show hosted by former Navy SEAL Shawn Ryan, Patel said the bureau would “close down” its Washington headquarters and “reopen it the next day as a ‘deep state’ museum.”
Angelo Carusone, president of the left-leaning journalism watchdog group Media Matters for America, said he fully expected the Trump administration to take a confrontational approach with the media, warning that it could have a chilling effect on reporting.
“He’s going to respond not just to what Trump says, but to what the larger mainstream right-wing media ecosystem is calling for and demanding,” Carusone said. “We must not diminish the thirst for blood there. People want revenge.”
Asked what Patel’s intentions were with reporters, Trump’s transition spokesman said the candidate would be trained in traditional FBI values.
“Kash Patel is committed to fulfilling President Trump’s mandate to restore the FBI’s integrity and return the agency to its core mission of protecting America,” said spokesman Alex Pfeiffer. “Cash is committed to protecting Americans’ First Amendment rights, unlike Joe Biden, who weaponized the DOJ to target journalists.”
Under the Biden administration, The FBI raided the house provides search warrants for the records and cell phone of conservative subversive James O’Keefe, founder of the defunct Project Veritas, in connection with the investigation into the theft of a magazine belonging to Biden’s daughter. (O’Keefe was never charged in the investigation, which resulted in the conviction of another person.) Then-President Barack Obama did not have a good reputation when it came to press freedom; he targeted journalists and their work as they try to root out government officials who leak national security information. Trump himself has had a storied, combative relationship with the news media, often calling it “the enemy of the people.”
Now, Patel’s past statements to Bannon are troubling some on the right.
Mike Davis, an embattled Trump ally and former top adviser to the Senate GOP for candidates, said he had spoken with Patel and acknowledged the need to clean up some of his comments about the use of law enforcement against the media.
He contrasted some of Patel’s remarks with his own, saying they should not be taken literally.
“Kash and I are using hyperbole to get people to focus on our larger point: politicizing and weaponizing intelligence agencies and law enforcement is very destructive to our republic,” said Davis, who runs the conservative group Article III Project and has provided informal advice to some of Trump’s candidates. he said. . “The FBI must return to its core mission of protecting Americans from crime.”
Patel’s comments could invite grilling by some Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, which oversees the FBI and its nominees, during his confirmation hearings.
The panel’s top member, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he plans to ask Patel to “come clean” on some of his background. Including statements about the use of force by law enforcement agencies against people “in the media”.
“I don’t know how much of it is rhetorical and how much of it is serious,” Cornyn told NBC News.
For Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, Patel’s comments are a major red flag.
“It should be off limits,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “The awesome power of the prosecutor, the FBI or [attorney general] — Must be related to the protection of the American people and public safety. Not stalking or stalking the press, political opponents or just people you don’t like.”
“I hope every senator has this concern. And Patel needs to address that,” he continued. “He’s made it very clear that he intends to use force to do political advocacy. Those are his words, not mine.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said she has not decided how to handle Patel’s nomination if it comes before the committee. But he claimed that he – and Trump’s other nominees must first do an FBI background check before moving forward.
Asked about Patel’s past thoughts on media pursuits, Hirono was silent: “That falls into the category of abuse of power.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Judiciary Committee and a former prosecutor, said Patel’s comments were “completely disqualifying” and “turning heads” for anyone in charge at the FBI.
“I know because I’m a prosecutor and a US attorney who’s part of the Justice Department – it’s not just a conviction that ruins a person’s life. It’s an investigation. It can be financially and personally crippling to let your neighbors and co-workers know that the FBI is investigating you and that the head of the FBI is alleging that you have committed a crime.”
For senators like Blumenthal, retracting those remarks may not be enough.
“I don’t know how you can take back such mean, nasty comments. I would say that anyone who speaks like this is disqualified,” said the senator. “I don’t know how someone who makes those comments can be a credible director of the FBI.”