Jake Sullivan, the Biden administration's national security adviser, announced that President-elect Trump has appointed him as FBI director after Patel named Sullivan as a member of the “deep state” in a book published last year. He declined to say whether he was concerned about the nomination of Kash Patel as a candidate.
“Kash Patel also published a book listing people who are part of the deep state. Your name is on that list. You agree to give him full powers of federal investigation. Are you concerned? And do you fear personal retribution?'' CNN's Casey Hunt asked Sullivan during an interview on “State of the Union.''
Sullivan dismissed the mention in Patel's book “Government Gangsters,” saying he was instead focused on Trump's final days in office before he takes office on January 20. .
Trump nominates Kash Patel as FBI director, “defending the truth''
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a joint press conference with Secretary of State for the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak on March 20, 2024 in Kyiv. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
“Look, I wake up every day and try to protect this country and protect our national interests. I have 50 days left. I'm going to be completely focused on each day to ensure a smooth transition.” And I don't have time to worry about anything else at this point,” Sullivan said.
Last year, Patel published “Government Gangsters: The Deep State, Truth, and the Fight for Democracy,'' which President Trump has described as a “roadmap'' for exposing bad actors in the government. , hailed it as “a blueprint for taking back the White House.” And remove these gangs from the entire government. ”
Kash Patel's nomination arouses enthusiasm and anxiety. The future of the FBI seems uncertain.
“The situation is bad. There's no denying that. The FBI has grossly abused its power, threatening not only the rule of law but the very foundations of self-governance at the heart of our democracy. “It's not over. Change is possible and desperately needed at the FBI,” Patel wrote in his book, detailing the current state of the FBI.
Kash Patel and President-elect Trump (Getty Images)
In his book, Patel provided an alphabetical list of alleged “deep state” members currently or previously employed by the executive branch. Sullivan is on the long list, which also includes other Biden officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland, Vice President Kamala Harris and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Mr. Wray served in both the Trump and Biden administrations.
President Trump nominated Patel as his nominee for FBI director on Saturday. Mr. Hunt asked Mr. Sullivan for his reaction the next morning, noting that Mr. Patel was an “ardent Trump supporter” who had vowed to target the deep state. Sullivan ignored the question, focusing on Wray's work as FBI director.
FBI Director Christopher Wray arrives to testify at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC on June 4, 2024 (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
“I'm not going to talk to President-elect Trump's nominees. I'll let him speak his own rationale. What I want to say is how the Biden administration approached the FBI director position. That's it. We are Chris Ray. President-elect Trump appointed him for a 10-year term, and he did a very good job in that role. And what makes FBI Directors different from most other candidates is that they are appointed for only one term. “It's not going to happen, Mr. President,” he said. Said.
David Marcus: Kash Patel is the fumigator the FBI needs
“They are appointed for a period long enough to continue the president's last two terms because they are supposed to be insulated from politics. Although President Biden strictly adheres to his long-standing bipartisan tradition, , and there's a good reason for that, because the FBI director should not be subject to the whims of political ups and downs,'' he continued.
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For Patel to actually take the job, Wray would have to resign or be fired from the FBI. The Senate will also need to confirm Patel before he can take on his new role.
