Who is Kash Patel? Know more about US President-elect Donald Trump’s likely pick for CIA chief
Kashyap Patel, a New York-born attorney with Indian roots, has held significant roles in counterterrorism, including overseeing the prosecution of terror group affiliates. Following Trump's election victory, he is a leading candidate for CIA director, pending Senate confirmation.
Donald Trump made a triumphant comeback on Tuesday after a turbulent election campaign that included two attempts on his life and deepening polarisation within the country. The President-elect will be naming members of his Cabinet and other high-ranking administration officials in the coming weeks — with many predicting a major role for Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel.
The Indian-origin American is considered the ‘ultimate Trump loyalist’ and previously played a key role in helping Republicans discredit the Russia election interference probe. The former Republican House staffer had also worked in various high-ranking staff roles within the defense and intelligence communities for the previous Trump administration.
Several Trump allies have batted for Patel to be appointed as the next CIA director. However the appointment can only be finalised with Senate confirmation — somewhat simplified after Republicans won a majority on Tuesday. Patel is likely to be appointed as a member of the National Security Council if he fails to secure the Senate vote.
Patel was born in New York to Gujarati parents who had previously immigrated to the US from a third country. He began his career as a public defender trying numerous complex cases — from murder and narco-trafficking to elaborate financial crimes. Patel also worked as a terrorism prosecutor with the Department of Justice and led investigations spanning multiple theaters of conflict.
According to his US Department of Defense profile, Patel oversaw the successful prosecution of criminals aligned with Al-Qa’ida, ISIS and other terror groups. He also served as the DOJ Liaison Officer to Joint Special Operations Command and worked with several key counterterrorism units “to conduct collaborative global targeting operations against high value terrorism targets”.
Patel drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials during the first Trump government — with some viewing him as 'volatile and too eager to please the then-president'. He had served as the Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of National Intelligence under the previous administration and oversaw the operations of all 17 intelligence community agencies.
“Patel served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. In that capacity, he oversaw the execution of several of President Donald Trump’s top priorities, including eliminating ISIS and Al-Qa’ida leadership such as al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of numerous American hostages,” his official bio adds.
Patel has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he had promised to "come after" politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of the president-elect.
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First Published:6 Nov 2024, 09:31 PM IST
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