Donald Trump’s choice to run the FBI, Kash Patel, is already demonstrating how he’d use the country’s top law enforcement agency to crack down on his critics.
Jesse Binall, Patel’s attorney, sent a letter Wednesday to former Trump White House staffer Olivia Troye, threatening legal action against her for her criticism of Patel on MSNBC Monday. The letter accused Troye of fabricating her criticisms of Patel previously lying about intelligence matters and putting U.S. service members at risk.
Troye and Patel worked in the White House during Trump’s first term as president, and Binall’s letter threatens litigation against Troye unless she retracts her criticisms of Patel, which include calling him a “delusional liar.”
It’s a clear sign of Trump and Patel’s plans to attack critics of the MAGA agenda, whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or members of the media. Patel has threatened to prosecute members of the so-called “deep state” in addition to the “entire fake news media,” publishing a long enemies list in the back of his 2023 book, Government Gangsters.
Patel has just three years working in the Justice Department as his law enforcement experience, and his appointment has already drawn opposition from senators in both parties, who would prefer that Christopher Wray serve out the rest of his 10-year term as FBI director. Trump’s choice also has opposition from within Trump’s team.
Despite the backlash, Trump has seemingly stood by his choice of Patel, even as his other nominees, such as Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Chris Chronister for DEA chief, have dropped out. For now, Patel only has to get through the Senate to begin Trump’s authoritarian takeover.
While Pete Hegseth makes his last hurrah on Capitol Hill Wednesday to convince senators that he’s a worthy nominee for Donald Trump’s secretary of defense, the Fox News star’s former colleagues are coming out in droves to flag down his past indiscretions.
One former colleague who preferred to remain anonymous told NPR’s David Folkenflik that the ex-anchor was known to be “handsy” while inebriated and that he once groped her at a Manhattan bar.
Hegseth’s attorney, Tim Parlatore, told the radio network that the allegation was a “false claim.” Fox News denied having any knowledge of the groping accusation.
Ten other current and former Fox employees alerted NBC News on Tuesday that Hegseth’s drinking was concerning. Two sources told the outlet that they had smelled alcohol on Hegseth on more than a dozen occasions while he hosted Fox & Friends Weekend. Another source said they had smelled alcohol on Hegseth as recently as last month.
“Everyone would be talking about it behind the scenes before he went on the air,” one of the former Fox employees said.
Hegseth’s rampant drinking could be the last nail in the coffin for the inexperienced nominee’s chances at Trump’s Cabinet. On Wednesday, Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told CNN that the former anchor needed to offer a promise of sobriety before taking the reins of the Pentagon.