White House and Republicans Criticize 'Trump's FBI Director Replacement'... Senate Republicans May Block Confirmation

Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor
"Biden Will Not Fire FBI Director Appointed by Trump"
Indirect Criticism from Within Republican Party
WP: "Republicans Must Block Senate Confirmation"
Ambassador to France Related by Marriage to Arab and Middle East Advisor

President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to break precedent by replacing the FBI Director with his close aide, former Defense Secretary Chief of Staff Kashy Patel, after his inauguration in January next year has sparked criticism not only within the White House but also inside the Republican Party. Local U.S. media predict controversy similar to the case of Matt Gaetz, the first failed nominee for Attorney General in Trump’s second-term administration, and voices are growing louder within the Republican Party calling for a halt to the attempt to replace the FBI Director.

On the 1st (local time), Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, appeared on NBC’s "Meet the Press" and said, "The FBI must remain an independent agency free from politics."

He explained, "Christopher Wray, the current FBI Director, was actually appointed by Donald Trump," and added, "Joe Biden did not fire him." He continued, "He (Biden) expected Wray to fulfill his responsibilities as FBI Director and allowed him to serve his full term during the Biden administration," emphasizing, "This is how we approach the work, and we want the FBI to remain an independent agency separate from politics."

This was an indirect criticism of Trump’s announcement the previous day that he would appoint Patel, his former Chief of Staff, as Wray’s successor. The FBI Director’s term is 10 years, and Wray’s term runs until August 2027. After taking office, Director Wray faced criticism from then-President Trump during his first term, including congressional testimony on Russia’s election interference threats. Patel, who Trump has now nominated as FBI Director in a break from tradition, is a loyal close aide who shared Trump’s stance, having claimed election fraud in 2020 and labeled the FBI as the core of the "deep state" (an unelected power group).

Advisor Sullivan also appeared on CBS, CNN, and ABC, emphasizing that Director Wray "carried out his role completely detached from partisan politics regarding the sitting U.S. President," calling it "an excellent and deeply rooted bipartisan tradition upheld by Biden."

Regarding Patel’s declaration of retaliation against the Democrats, including labeling himself a "corrupt actor," Sullivan avoided a direct answer and said the new administration would focus on the transition until the inauguration on January 20 next year.

Within the Republican Party, voices defending current Director Wray have emerged against Trump’s attempt to replace the FBI Director. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), a U.S. Senator, appeared on ABC’s "This Week" and said, "It’s not surprising that Trump chooses people very loyal to him," adding, "Trump chose a very good person in Wray." He noted that the FBI Director’s term is "usually 10 years" and said, "We will see how the process unfolds and whether he actually pushes the nomination through."

Local media expect Patel’s nomination to become controversial, similar to the case of Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz, who resigned voluntarily amid allegations of soliciting minors. Concerns are also pouring in that the independence of the FBI could be compromised. Since the FBI Director requires Senate confirmation, attention is focused on whether Republican senators will block Trump’s attempt to replace the FBI Director.

The U.S. daily The Washington Post (WP) reported, "It is important to understand that it is neither common nor acceptable for a new president to select an FBI Director according to his preferences, which is a dangerous deviation," and added, "Republican senators who opposed the Gaetz Attorney General nomination and fulfilled their constitutional duties must now stand up to Trump again, no matter how unpleasant or politically risky it is."

Meanwhile, Trump has nominated his in-laws to key positions following the U.S. Ambassador to France. After nominating Charles Kushner, father-in-law of his eldest daughter Ivanka Trump, as U.S. Ambassador to France, he announced the appointment of Masad Boulos, a Lebanese-American and father-in-law of his second daughter Tiffany Trump, as senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. This move, placing in-laws in major government posts, is also expected to face controversy. Notably, Kushner, nominated as U.S. Ambassador to France, has a criminal record, having served a prison sentence in 2004 for tax evasion and witness tampering. He was pardoned in December 2020 during the final days of Trump’s first-term administration.