FBI director Kash Patel made a series of weird enquiries after taking over the agency which is supposed to work free of any political influence and, as The Wall Street Journal reported, the enquiries reflected that Kash Patel has no trust in the FBI machinery, the agency he heads. Patel asked officials what the best way was to call the Oval Office on a secure line from both his FBI office and also from his home.
Patel’s second weird pursuit was hiring his private security detail. The Journal reported that as the FBI director, he gets his own FBI security detail but he asked about hiring a private one clearly showing that he didn’t fully trust the FBI agents.
How FBI directors usually get in touch with the President
FBI’s first director J Edgar Hoover had close relationships with the presidents as he served in the post for almost 50 years. Hoover had a phone line in his home that was meant specifically for conversations with the president, his biographer Beverly Gage confirmed to Journal. But since then, the FBI and the White House have been kept as separate entities.
For an FBI director, the traditional chain of command is to get in touch with the attorney general to reach the president.
Senior FBI officials are not allowed to bring cell phones to their offices. A secured landline is already there on the desks of many FBI officials that can connect them to the White House, the CIA and other national security agencies.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson dismissed the reports of Patel’s weird requests and said the agency would not engage with such “false leaks or distractions”. “Director Patel is aggressively working to deliver on removing criminals from our streets, restoring law and order, and ensuring agents have the resources they need to perform their duties effectively,” FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told the Journal. “We have absolutely zero interest in engaging with false leaks or distractions that undermine that mission.”
Kash Patel, Pam Bondi clash over Epstein Files
Both Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi came under MAGA fury after failing to live up to their promises on Epstein Files. The latest release did not offer any unexpected disclosure and Bondi blamed the FBI for withholding information. Patel promised that there would be no cover-ups, no missing documents in the FBI under his leadership and all Epstein records would be uncovered.
