Fox News Defends Patel as ‘More Than’ Qualified For FBI Post Using Two-Bullet Resume
A staunch Trump loyalist, Patel was previously floated as head of the agency during the Republican president-elect’s first term, but was vetoed by several senior FBI figures.
Hosts of Fox & Friends Weekend lavished praise Sunday on Donald Trump’s pick for FBI chief, touting a thin, two-bullet resume for viewers to show why he’s “more than” qualified for the gig.
News broke on Saturday that Kash Patel, a former DoJ official and staunch Trump loyalist, will be heading up the nation’s foremost law enforcement agency when the Republican Party takes the White House next year.
Responding to the announcement, host Will Cain said Sunday “there was already some hyperventilating on the left about this potentiality because Kash Patel represents another disruptor added to the cabinet.”
The show flashed his sparse resume on the screen to defend his credentials, only listing two bullet points: “Served as senior director for counterterrorism at National Security Council” and “Served as chief of staff for acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, from 2020-2021.”
Elaborating on Patel’s perceived qualifications for the post, Cain’s co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy said that Patel is “making so many of the right people nervous and uncomfortable and unhappy, that you just gotta believe this is the right guy for the job.”
She added, “They’re trying to say he’s not qualified, the guy’s qualifications are more than enough to run this agency.”
Sitting across from Campos-Duffy, Joey Jones then suggested that critics appear to think Patel is “unqualified because he doesn’t have a house in Georgetown there, just outside DC, [or] spend all of his time talking to, I don’t know, the military industrial complex.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
As a further tick in Patel’s favor, Jones told viewers that the incoming FBI chief is “the widely known author of the Deb Nunez memo.”
The 2018 document’s authorship, which alleged the agency had engaged in misconduct with its electronic surveillance of a former aide to then-President Trump, remains a matter of some dispute, though its findings have naturally turned Patel into a hero among the Republican leader’s allies.
Patel is expected to dismantle an agency that Trump has long derided.
A fervent advocate of the “Deep State” conspiracy theory popular among MAGAists, Patel has previously outlined a desire to cut federal investigative agencies, suggesting the “FBI has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken.”
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.