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The only man to run both the FBI and the CIA spoke out against Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, two of President-elect Trump’s top intelligence picks, saying both positions require “complete independence from the political influence”.
William Webster, who led the agencies under both Democratic and Republican presidents, made the comment in a letter to senators, saying he was “deeply concerned” about the two choices.
Patel, who held several national security posts under the Trump administration and is a key ally of the president-elect, has been nominated to lead the FBI, although current director Christopher Wray would normally serve a 10-year term . until 2027.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, was nominated as director of national intelligence, a role in which she would lead the office that coordinates the 18 intelligence agencies.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity. Statements such as ‘He’s my kind of intelligence’ and the its track record of carrying out the president’s directives suggests an allegiance to individuals rather than the rule of law, a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartially enforcing justice,” he wrote Webster.
The letter was first reported by Politico.
Patel has been an outspoken critic of the FBI’s investigation into Trump, even writing a children’s book on the subject, and has said he would fire several FBI staff members to dismantle the agency. “deep state”. He also listed several Democratic figures as “government thugs” in a book of the same name, and wrote in fundraising emails through his foundation that they must be held accountable.
Gabbard, meanwhile, has come under fire for repeating Russian narratives about the country’s invasion of Ukraine and also visited now-ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad when he faced accusations of using weapons chemicals against their own people.
“Congresswoman Gabbard’s profound lack of intelligence experience and the daunting task of overseeing 18 different intelligence agencies highlight the need for experienced leadership,” Webster wrote.
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unmatched expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations. Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and coll… working internationally is greatly reduced. … This is not a time in world history for a novice in the field to learn this role.”
Trump’s team fired back at Webster.
“It shouldn’t be news that someone who supported Joe Biden, who has been wrong in every foreign policy disaster of the past four years, and Kamala Harris are opposing President Trump’s nominees. Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active-duty member of the military and has served in the military for more than two decades and in Congress, as someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, he recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to guarantee one close coordination to keep the American people safe,” Alexa Henning, a Trump transition spokeswoman, said in a statement.
Alex Pfeiffer, also a Trump transition spokesman, defended Patel as “loyal to the Constitution. He has worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles.”
Webster, who led the FBI under Presidents Carter and Reagan, shared that each man contacted him only once during their tenures, nodding to concerns that Trump wanted to take an outsized role in directing the affairs of each agency.
He encouraged senators “to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and expertise.”
“Confidence in our intelligence and law enforcement agencies is also crucial to our international partners,” he wrote.
“Without that trust, we cannot be effective in protecting sensitive secrets or collaborating to address shared threats.”
