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Trump chooses Massad Boulos as Middle East advisor and Patel as new FBI chief

On Saturday he appointed Charles Kushner, father of Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, as ambassador to Paris.

1 December 2024

L’imprenditore libanese Massad Boulos, nominato da Trump senior advisor presidenziale per il Medio Oriente

2' min read

New appointments by president-elect Donald Trump. On Sunday, he appointed Lebanese businessman Massad Boulos, the father of Michael Boulos, the husband of Tiffany, the president-elect's youngest daughter, as senior presidential advisor for the Middle East and the Arab world.

On Saturday he had appointed Charles Kushner, father of Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, as ambassador to Paris.

Also on Saturday, he announced his intention to appoint Kash Patel, a former senior national security official and his close associate, as the new director of the'FBI. The choice is a clear signal of a break with the current leadership.

Patel, who held strategic positions in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Defence during Trump's first term, has repeatedly spoken out against the FBI's intelligence role, arguing for radical reforms. "The FBI's main problem comes from its intelligence departments. I would eliminate them completely. I would close the Hoover Building on day one and turn it into a Deep State museum,' Patel said last September on the conservative-leaning Shawn Ryan Show.

Patel also proposed redeploying the 7,000 employees at FBI headquarters into more operational roles. "They have to be cops. They are policemen. They have to act like cops," he added.

A move against Wray

Patel's appointment is seen as a direct move to realise the threat of firing Christopher Wray, chosen by Trump himself in 2017 after the controversial firing of James Comey. Although Wray is a Republican and his ten-year term only expires in 2027, he has often come into the crosshairs of Trump supporters, especially for his handling of certain decisions deemed hostile to the former president.

During Wray's leadership, the FBI searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence to retrieve classified documents, an operation authorised by a court. In addition, Wray received criticism for supporting a directive by Attorney General Merrick Garland to protect local school boards from violent threats.

Despite the pressure, Wray gave no indication that he wanted to leave the post early. Sources close to the director confirmed that he was planning commitments for 2025.

Who is Kash Patel

Kash Patel, 44, has a career behind him as a public defender and federal prosecutor. He is best known for his prominent role in the House Republicans' investigation into the alleged misuse of the FBI in the probe into links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.

His name also surfaced during Trump's first impeachment, when Fiona Hill, a former National Security Council official, expressed concerns that Patel was acting as a secret conduit between Trump and Ukraine without authorisation. Patel has always denied the allegations.

After Trump's term ends in 2021, Patel has been appointed as the representative for access to presidential documents. He also wrote a book entitled Government Gangsters, which Trump called "a guide to dismantling the power of the Deep State."

Patel's nomination may face strong opposition in the Senate, not only from Democrats but also from some Republicans. However, Patel has already received public support from prominent figures such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.