Trump’s pick for FBI director could have implications for Huntsville army base

President-elect Donald Trump recently announced his plan to replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray with Kash Patel, a lawyer who had little government experience before briefly joining Trump’s lame duck administration in 2020.

Trump grew critical of Wray — who he himself appointed in 2017 — after the FBI searched his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida in 2022, resulting in charges against Trump related to mishandling classified documents. Those charges were ultimately dismissed by the judge overseeing the case.

“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account over the weekend.

Patel joins the growing list of seemingly unqualified Trump-loyalists whom the president-elect has been appointing to major positions ahead of his second term. Trump recently announced Linda McMahon — his transition co-chair, a major Republican donor, and a former pro-wrestling executive — as his pick for Secretary of the Department of Education. The president-elect also intially chose U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FL, as his nominee for Attorney General despite his lack of legal experience. However, Gaetz ultimately withdrew his nomination in relation to a House Ethics Commission investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, accepting improper gifts, and obstruction.

Patel has faced criticism from both sides of the aisle, with former Trump administration officials criticizing the nomination.

Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton compared Patel to Joseph Stalin’s leader of the Soviet Union’s secret police, the NKVD. “The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0,” Bolton told CNN.

When Trump attempted to appoint Patel as deputy FBI director in the twilight of his first term in office, then-Attorney General William Barr told the White House that Patel would become deputy director “over my dead body” according to Barr’s own memoir.

“The irony of this is that they all complained about the politicization of the FBI, and here Trump is putting in someone who’s going to do just that,” said Charles Kupperman, Trump’s former deputy national security adviser. “These are not reforms, they are punitive measures from a guy trying to be the enforcer for Trump.”

Patel has previously advocated for firing the “top ranks of the FBI,” encouraging Congress to demand testimony exposing “every single bit of filth and corruption” at the agency, and withholding the bureau’s funding “until the documents come in.” He has also voiced support for prosecuting leakers and journalists and replacing national security workers with “people who won’t undermine the president’s agenda.”

Interestingly, Patel also supports shutting down the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, D.C., a move which some members’ of Alabama’s congressional delegation think could benefit the state, Huntsville in particular.

“The FBI’s focus should be protecting Americans from terrorists, hostile foreign actors, and violent criminals, and Huntsville is in prime position to be an invaluable partner in achieving this shared goal,” U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-AL, told Huntsville’s News 19.

Huntsville is home to Redstone Arsenal, a U.S. Army base which also houses a multitude of other government agencies, including thousands of FBI employees. Lawmakers like Britt hope that Patel’s appointment might lead to an expansion of the Arsenal’s role and the transfer of more FBI personnel to Alabama.

“The FBI’s operations on Redstone Arsenal are at the forefront of 21st-century innovation and training needed to combat the threats of the future,” Britt continued. “I am confident Redstone Arsenal will be instrumental in fulfilling the FBI’s core mission for decades to come.”

Alabama’s other U.S. Senator, Tommy Tuberville, called Patel “the perfect pick” in a post on his X account. “He will restore LAW AND ORDER and end FBI corruption,” Tuberville wrote.

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, also commented on Patel’s tentative appointment.

“We need to reorganize the FBI and make their work less politically charged and more effective,” Strong said. “As for the FBI presence in Huntsville, Alabama— we have proven that it can be run efficiently and are ready to bring more jobs here as changes are made nationwide.”

Patel, along with Trump’s other appointments, will have to be confirmed by the Senate before taking office.