Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said he believes President-elect Trump is moving the FBI in a “very political direction.”
Ivey, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, appeared on NewsNation's “The Hill” on Sunday to discuss why she thinks FBI Director Christopher Wray should not have resigned and instead forced Trump to fire him. explained. Host Chris Stilwald noted the history of FBI leaders resigning before the end of their 10-year terms.
“I think resigning because the next president says he's going to bring in someone else is a little different than resigning to do something in the private sector,” Ivey said.
With Wray stepping down, Trump plans to appoint loyalist Kash Patel to the top position. This is a worrying decision for Democrats, who want to keep the agency a bipartisan government function.
“I think it's very clear when you combine that history with Patel's nomination to replace Patel. Trump is moving the FBI in a very political direction. It's a problem not just for the country as a whole, but for the governance of the nation.” I think it's 'Law and Department,''' Ivey said.
The Maryland Democrat said it was questionable whether anything Mr. Wray did at the department before his official retirement would become permanent after Mr. Patel and Mr. Trump took office.
“Frankly, I have more concerns than just what's going to happen to them, especially the lieutenants,” Ivey said. “I think rule of law issues, Patel coming in with a list of enemies, these are the kinds of things we really need to focus on at this point.”
Ivey previously argued that Wray should have forced Trump to fire her because it would have removed “the burden on Trump to break with tradition and replace her with Patel.”
Trump selected Wray last term after firing his predecessor, James Comey. He was supposed to hold the FBI's top position until 2027.
However, President Trump nominated Patel to be the next director. Patel echoes Trump's calls for retribution against political opponents and those who have investigated the president-elect in the past.
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