“The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice,” promised our new FBI Director, Kashyap “Kash” Patel, in his swearing-in on February 21, 2025, just days before his 45^th birthday.

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Kash Patel was born on February 25, 1980 in Garden City, New York to Indian immigrants, Pramod and Anjana Patel. He is a Hindu. Patel graduated from the University of Richmond in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and history. He earned a Certificate in International Law in 2004 from University College London (England) and received his law degree from Pace University Law School in 2005.

He began his legal career as a public defender in Miami representing violent criminals and drug traffickers.  In 2014, he began his government career as a Department of Justice terrorism prosecutor trying cases against ISIS and Al-Qaeda operatives and working with counterterrorism units.

Mr. Patel’s Most Significant Legal Work

In 2017, he served the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Committee as Senior Counsel and Aide to Chairman Devon Nunes. Mr. Patel was instrumental in drafting the GOP report bringing to light the alleged abuses of FBI officials in trying to link Russia and the Trump campaign, which we know was a hoax.  He considers his work investigating the Russia hoax, “the most significant legal activity” of his career.

In 2019, he joined President Trump’s National Security Council as a Senior Director in Counterterrorism in the president’s first term. In November of 2020, he became Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defense, Chris Miller.

During the Biden years, Mr. Patel founded The Kash Foundation to raise money for legal defense funds to support whistleblowers and defamed American citizens, as well as provide financial assistance to veterans, active duty military, and law enforcement.

In August of 2024, Patel wrote an eye-opening book called Government Gangsters, revealing 50 current or former officials whom he claims are “members of the Executive Branch Deep State” and considers them a “dangerous threat to democracy.” Patel also outlined how to defeat the Deep State and restore self-government. President Trump called Patel’s book a “roadmap” and a “blueprint” to return agencies and department to working for the American people.

A Testy Confirmation Hearing

In nominating Mr. Patel, President Trump called him “a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice, and protecting the American people.”

As a well-known Trump loyalist, Patel faced intense questioning as Democrats accused him of seeking to use his position to seek revenge against what Democrat Senator Amy Klobucher called Trump’s “enemies list”.

When asked about comments he made in his book, Patel replied, “Any accusations leveled against me that I would somehow put political bias before the Constitution are grotesquely unfair.”

The Senate voted 51 to 49 to confirm Kash Patel as America’s 9^th FBI Director, with Republican Senators Collins and Murkowski voting no – along with every Democrat and Independent senator.

In his speech after his swearing-in, Director Patel said…

“I am living the American Dream. I’m a first-generation Indian kid who is about to lead the law enforcement agency of the greatest nation on God’s green earth. That can’t happen anywhere else. We’re in this room together because you have a love of country which is truly inspirational. We’re fighting for the same thing—our future, our children. There is no greater mission…

“Anyone wishing to do harm to our way of life, to our citizens both here and abroad, will face the full wrath of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We will uphold the Constitution. I love this country.”

The FBI’s Role

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the top law enforcement agency in the U.S. As the name implies, the FBI investigates federal crimes, such as terrorism, treason, organized crime, cybercrime, and hijackings. In addition, the FBI has a role in counterterrorism and gathering domestic intelligence.

The Bureau also conducts all background checks for candidates appointed by the President and investigates federal money crimes, such as embezzlement, money laundering, extortion, piracy, and racketeering, as well as all civil rights violations

The FBI Director reports directly to the Attorney General of the Department of Justice, Pam Bondi, and to the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard.

Revamping the FBI

Kash Patel has been fiercely critical of the FBI for many years. But now as Director, he is laser focused on restoring the credibility and trust of the American people in the FBI.

He says that the partnership and collaboration with the DOJ has been “absolutely brilliant” in setting the new foundation for the FBI. He plans to overhaul the department to end the political weaponization of the FBI and prioritize law enforcement.

Patel supports increased congressional oversight of the FBI. He believes FBI investigations should operate with more transparency and accountability. He wants stricter measures to ensure politics do not influence investigations.

His plans include increasing the FBI’s role in one of President Trump’s priorities, stopping illegal immigration and deporting illegal criminals. Patel believes the rise in violent crime intersects with the open border policy of Joe Biden in welcoming in 12 million illegals with little to no vetting.

Surveillance Reform

Patel has called for a major reform in the FBI’s secretive surveillance practices given to them by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA.

It’s well-documented that the FBI under Barak Obama spied on the 2016 Trump campaign using a warrant application containing false and missing information. Interestingly, Judge James Boasberg, the same judge prohibiting the deportation of Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, even ordering the planes to turn around, was one of the FISA judges to sign off on the warrant allowing the FBI spying on the Trump campaign.

As a staff member to the House Intelligence Committee, Patel played a key role in exposing the FBI’s misuse of FISA warrants.

Patel has had his own communications secretly surveilled without his knowledge.  The CIA has also referred Patel to the DOJ for criminal investigation. The CIA claimed Patel leaked a classified memo about Russian efforts to help Trump’s 2016 campaign to government officials who did not have the proper security clearance. He was never criminally charged and so-called Russian interference was declared a hoax by the Mueller investigation.

Patel is also highly critical of Section 702 of the FISA Act which allows the U.S. to forgo warrants and collect communications of non-Americans outside the U.S. But 702 also allows for communications to be collected of Americans in contact with the targeted non-Americans. Patel disapproved of the reauthorization of FISA in April of 2024.

Prioritizing Law Enforcement

Patel would like to see the FBI cut ties with the CIA and the National Security Agency and focus less on intelligence gathering and more on law enforcement. “Let good cops be cops,” he says.

In his first interview as FBI Director, Patel promised Fox’s Trey Gowdy that he would reorient the “assets” of the FBI. Currently, there are 38,000 FBI agents with one-third of them assigned within a 50-mile radius of D.C.

He says he has been very intentional about moving agents out of the Capitol Region and back into the field offices to focus on combating violent crime. The FBI has 55 field offices in major U.S. cities and 350 satellite offices in smaller towns. They need the manpower resources more, Patel claims. As such, he has already ordered 1,000 staff to field offices around the U.S. and 500 to Huntsville, Alabama, where the Department of Defense also has offices.

Patel is determined to fight the violent crime explosion in America over the past four years. He is especially concerned about the fentanyl crisis and the skyrocketing overdoses happening in towns across America. He says they need more manpower resources to “crush the narco traffickers.”

Out-of-Control Violent Crime

Patel is calling for a change to the dynamic threat landscape, which he says is changing constantly. “Now we see the narco traffickers and the gangs exploding in terms of violence in America,” he says. “So we have to shift with that threat dynamic.”

Right now, he is prioritizing the FBI’s focus on sex trafficking, fentanyl and heroin overdoses, and violent crime in the form of gang murders. Sadly, he has the grim statistics to back up his shift in focus to out-of-control violent crime.

According to Patel, an American citizen overdoses on a drug and narcotic every seven minutes. Every 6 1/2 minutes, a woman or child is raped. Two people are murdered every hour.  He calls this explosion of violent crime on the streets of America “a national security crisis.”

“I want to make sure that every state and every county… is safe and secure. And the best way to do that is through a proper show of force with the FBI men and women who do this job so courageously every day out in the streets fighting crime.”

Patel Hits the Ground Running

Director Patel pledges not to forget or ignore national security. He calls the “consequential mission” of the FBI is to “safeguard our citizenry and our way of life and to investigate those that do harm to our citizenry.” And he’s not wasting any time.

In his first six weeks as Director, the FBI reports they have:

1. Arrested in Virginia one of the top three MS-13 gang leaders, a 24 year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, Henrry Joshue Villatoro Santos, “the worst of the worst” says Attorney General, Pam Bondi.
2. Arrested three fugitives from the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted
3. Arrested 22 members of a drug trafficking ring in Texas
4. Arrested domestic terrorists targeting Tesla
5. Shut down a Hamas money laundering scheme involving millions in cryptocurrency in operation since 2020

“Working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Bureau and our partners, we will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of,” Patel promises. “We’re just getting started.”

Let’s Pray for FBI Director Kash Patel

Dear Lord, we lift up FBI Director Kash Patel to You and ask that You would pour out your virtues of courage, integrity, and perseverance upon him as he and the FBI fight against the evil that preys upon our citizens and seeks to destroy America.

We pray that You would give Mr. Patel Your wisdom, knowledge, and guidance to root out any lawless and unconstitutional weaponization and politicization of the FBI. May his pursuit of the law and all his decisions be true and faithful to the U.S. Constitution, and more importantly to Your law.

We pray Proverbs 21:15 over Kash Patel, “When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers.” May he walk in your justice and righteousness with mercy to bring joy, peace and safety to our country. “For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18

We pray for strength and courage for Mr. Patel to stand firm in the face of adversity, not only against the evildoers that he pursues, but also against his detractors in Congress and the media. May he never grow weary of doing good and strengthen him to persevere. We pray Isaiah 54:17 (NIV) over him, “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.”

We pray for a great hedge of protection around Mr. Patel and all FBI agents. Shield them from harm and give them courage to face danger. Keep them safe Lord as they work faithfully to keep America safe. Grant peace to their loved ones in knowing that You watch over them.

We pray for the spirits of unity and boldness to rest upon President Trump and his law-and-order team of Director Patel, Dan Bongino, FBI Deputy Director, Attorney General Pam Bondi, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, and all those responsible for America’s safety and protection. May they work seamlessly together and find peace and joy in their work. May they be guided by You alone.

We pray that Kash Patel will come to salvation in Jesus Christ. We pray Ephesians 1:17-19 over him, “May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”

Glorious God, we pray for good to triumph and your Name to be exalted. In the Mighty Name of Jesus who has overcome the world, Amen.

Add your own prayers for Patel in the comments below.

Belinda Brewster analyzes cultural, political, and world events from a biblical worldview. Belinda’s passion is to equip, support, and encourage parents and grandparents who are courageously battling against the spiritual and cultural forces impacting children and grandchildren. Photo Credit: Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images.