After Kash Patel's nomination by President-elect Donald Trump as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, old comments made by the 44-year-old about shutting down the J Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI's headquarters in Pennsylvania, resurfaced. Patel had famously proclaimed that he would shut down the iconic Hoover building and turn it into a "museum of the deep state."
Patel was asked by host Shawn Ryan what his plans for the FBI would be if he were to be made the director of the agency. He slammed the current FBI authorities for its vast footprint and said that it was the agency's "biggest problem" out of which it needs to come out.
"The FBI's footprint has gotten so freaking big and the biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shops," Patel told Ryan. "I'd break that component out of it. I'd shut down the FBI Hoover building on day one and reopening the next day as a museum of the deep state and I'd take the 7,000 employees that work in that building and send them across America to chase down criminals."
Kash Patel: “I’d shutdown the FBI Hoover building on Day 1 and reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep state.”Do you think Donald Trump should appoint Kash Patel? pic.twitter.com/ceoGb0wRun
— Shawn Ryan Show (@ShawnRyanShow) November 19, 2024
Also read: Is Kash Patel Married? Exploring Trump’s FBI Director Pick’s Personal Life
Patel's appointment as the Director of the FBI is subject to approval of the Senate. Christopher Wray, appointed FBI Director in 2017 after Trump dismissed James Comey for "not doing a good job," continues to lead the agency. The FBI stated, "Every day, the men and women of the FBI continue to work to protect Americans… Director Wray's focus remains on the men and women of the FBI."
Patel held several significant positions, including senior roles in the National Security Council and as chief of staff to the acting Secretary of Defense in Trump's previous administration. He is known for his loyalty to the 78-year-old President-elect.