Former FBI and CIA directors are raising questions about whether Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, Donald Trump’s nominees for FBI director and Director of National Intelligence, respectively, are fit for the positions.
William Webster, the only FBI and CIA chief to have served under Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, urged senators Thursday to “evaluate the importance of bipartisan leadership and experience” when evaluating controversial choices. . .
“The safety of the American people and your families depends on it,” Webster, 100, wrote in a letter responding to the president-elect’s choice.
Webster joined several current and former FBI officials who on January 6, 2021, expressed concerns about Patel, a ‘deep state’ conspiracy theorist and fierce Trump loyalist who served as chief of staff to acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller. , the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political ties to President Trump raise serious concerns about his fairness and integrity,” Webster wrote, according to a press release.
He continued, “His record of enforcing the president’s directives suggests loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law,” and “It is a dangerous precedent for an agency charged with impartially administering justice.”
He also argued against the selection of Gabbard, a former Democrat-turned-Republican with no official intelligence experience, who critics criticized for her pro-Putin views and her apparent sympathy for ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. I did it.
“Gabbard’s lack of intelligence experience and the difficult task of overseeing 18 different intelligence agencies further emphasize the need for seasoned leadership,” Webster wrote of the DNI job.
“Managing the intelligence community effectively requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexity of global threats and maintain the trust of our allies,” he said. Without that trust, our ability to protect sensitive secrets and cooperate internationally is seriously compromised.”
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Webster emphasized the need for ‘independence, integrity, and experience’ in decision-making.
