FBI Director Kash Patel has discussed his agency's top priorities in his first TV interview after being confirmed to lead the FBI.
Speaking with Trey Gowdy on Fox News' Sunday Night in America, Patel emphasized his desire to move agents back into the field from the D.C. office to boost efforts to fight fentanyl, narco-trafficking, and other crimes across the country.
Why It Matters
Patel's intention to move FBI agents into the field to keep Americans safe comes at a time when the FBI has just reduced its domestic terrorism surveillance workforce and stopped using a tool that aids in their counterterrorism work, according to Reuters. This seems at odds with the Trump administration's treatment of drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Also, any move of agents into the field will incur additional costs at a time when the administration is cutting costs and regional federal offices.
What To Know
Patel said the U.S. has experienced a "violent crime explosion" over the past four or five years, and that the only way to keep people safe is by a "proper show of force" in towns across the country from the FBI.
He did not provide more detail as to when or how he would move agents into the field, nor did he explain what people in the D.C. office do which may be different yet complimentary to field investigators.
Patel told Gowdy, about a third of FBI agents work in D.C., but a third of crime in America does not happen in the city.
He said he wants the FBI focuses to be "sex trafficking, fentanyl and heroin overdoses, and violent crime in the form of gang murders and homicides and rapes." He also accused "illegal aliens" of being at the "intersection of violent crime."
Patel told Gowdy—whom Patel referred to as a great mentor and friend—that he has been "radio silent" in the past month to the media because he has been "laser-focused on restoring law enforcement and the credibility and trust in the American people."
During that time, Patel has attracted headlines for attending a UFC fight, and has been spotted driving a red Cybertruck with his name on the license plate. His appearance at the UFC fight came at the same time that the FBI director said he wants to train UFC fighters as FBI agents.
Patel also stressed that the U.S. needs a "strong Department of Justice" which is now led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, because the FBI works to investigate crimes, but the DOJ prosecutes them.
Before leading one of the world's largest law enforcement and investigative agencies, Patel was a defense department chief of staff, a former federal prosecutor, and a podcaster. He was also an outspoken Trump supporter and has said he would work to combat the "Deep State" once in office.
Patel replaced another Trump pick, Christopher Wray, as head of the FBI, following Wray's resignation before the start of Trump's second term. Despite Wray being a Trump nominee, he was accused by the Trump Administration of biasing the FBI against Republicans.
What People Are Saying
Kash Patel said on Sunday Night in America: "We have to change to the dynamic threat landscape that is changing constantly. And in not just America but abroad."
Retired FBI senior executive official, Chris Piehota, told The New York Times: "Where is he going to put [the D.C. officers]? You need to get in there and see behind the curtains. He's got a difficult balance to maintain between recalibrating the organization and still maintaining the operational effectiveness of the F.B.I."
FBI National Press Office told Newsweek: "Director Patel has made clear his promise to the American public that FBI agents will be in communities focused on combating violent crime. He has directed FBI leadership to implement a plan to put this promise into action."
What Happens Next
Patel previously told podcaster Shawn Ryan that he wanted to turn the FBI's Hoover Building in D.C. into a museum to the "Deep State" on "Day 1." Whether this will happen remains to be seen.
Until costings are known for his policy, the practicalities and "bang for buck" of Patel's intention to move more agents into the field will be difficult to assess.
Update, 3/25/25, 05:10 a.m. ET: This story was updated to include comment from the FBI.
