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Who is Kash Patel, the new FBI director? His India connection explained
US President Donald Trump confirmed Kash Patel as the FBI's ninth director after a narrow Senate vote of 51-49. Patel aims to make the FBI more transparent.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday officially signed the commission to confirm Indian-origin Kash Patel as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Kash Patel was confirmed to be the director of the FBI following a close vote in the US Senate, with 51 votes in his favour and 49 votes against him.
Also Read: US Senate confirms Kash Patel as Donald Trump's FBI chief amid tight vote
Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joined all 47 Democrats in voting no on Kash Patel’s nomination.
After his nomination, Kash Patel had vowed that he would lead the FBI to investigate US President Donald Trump's political enemies. After his confirmation, Patel, a staunch Trump loyalist, also he would rebuild the agency into one that is “transparent, accountable, and committed to justice”.
Also Read: Kash Patel confirmed: Who are the GOP Senators who voted against Trump's Indian-American FBI pick?
In a post on X, the White House wrote, “Kash Patel's confirmation as FBI Director is a crucial step in executing President Trump's agenda to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law.”
Patel also posted on X and said, "To those who seek to harm Americans--consider this your warning. We will hunt you down in every corner of this planet. Mission First. America Always. Let's get to work.
Who is Kash Patel?
Kash Patel was born to Gujarati parents in New York on February 25, 1980, in Garden City, New York. He went on to graduate from the University of Richmond and later earned a Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law.
Patel then began his career as a lawyer, working as a public defender where he handled multiple cases ranging from murder and narco-trafficking to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts.
Born and raised in the US, Patel has often spoken about his Indian heritage and how it shaped his values and career.
Despite his strong ties to India through ancestry, his professional work has been primarily focused on US national security, intelligence, and law enforcement.
The 45-year-old lawyer of Indian origin has held several high-profile positions, including deputy assistant to the President and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council (NSC).
During this time, Patel was responsible for missions working towards “eliminating ISIS and Al-Qa’ida leadership such as al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of numerous American hostages,” says the US Defence Department.
