Trump's nomination of controversial Kash Patel to head the FBI sparks rapid and strong reactions: live

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Donald Trump's nomination of MAGA loyalist Kash Patel as FBI director on Saturday evening sparked strong reactions from his supporters and critics.

I am proud to announce that Kashyap Kash Patel will be the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator and fighter for America First who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending justice and protecting the American people, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Patel defended Trump during his first administration amid an FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The choice was greeted enthusiastically by Republicans, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump's pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who called Patel America's fighter on board.

Critics, however, have expressed concern about the appointment.

Atlantic editor Tom Nichols responded to the MSNBC news, saying the choice was incredibly dangerous and that Trump was creating an administration made up of people who didn't really care about America's interests.

Former national security adviser John Bolton later compared Patel to one of the Soviet Union's most feared and brutal secret police chiefs, Lavrenty Beria, who was appointed to the post by Joseph Stalin .

Bolton compares Kash Patel to brutal Soviet secret police chief

Former national security adviser John Bolton compared Kash Patel, Donald Trump's nominee to head the FBI, to one of the Soviet Union's most feared and brutal secret police chiefs .

Trump nominated Kash Patel to be his Lavrenty Beria, Bolton said, speaking to NBC News Meet The Press on Sunday. Fortunately, the FBI is not the NKVD. The Senate is expected to reject this nomination 100-0.

The NKVD refers to the Ministry of the Interior and secret police of the Soviet Union, in place from 1934 to 1946.

Lavrenti Beria was appointed by Joseph Stalin as deputy head of the Soviet secret police and was head of the Soviet atomic bomb project, according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation.

He is known for his violent tactics, including kidnapping, torture and rape, which he used to advance in the ranks of the secret police.

Mike BediganDecember 1, 2024 5:30 p.m.

Progressive Democrats try to chart a path after Trump

Trump's victory saw his Republican allies flip the Senate and hold the House of Representatives with the slimmest of majorities, giving Democrats ample time to lick their wounds, sift through the ashes of defeat and figure out what's next.

As various factions engage in the blame game, the progressive Democrats who remain in Congress, although in the minority, are trying to offer an attractive alternative to voters who abandoned their party in November.

Andrea CavallierDecember 1, 2024 5:00 p.m.

Who is MAGA loyalist Kash Patel?

Donald Trump has announced that he will nominate MAGA loyalist Kash Patel to head the FBI.

Trump announced his choice of Patel on Saturday evening, who vowed to go after Trump's enemies in the media.

A conspiracy theorist who wants to restrict federal law enforcement, Patel has advocated for firing workers and launching a series of lawsuits to fulfill Trump's promise of retaliation. He is a Trump loyalist who has spoken out against the so-called deep state. Even among the most ardent MAGA believers, he is considered a controversial figure.

Andrea CavallierDecember 1, 2024 4:00 p.m.

Critics say Patel nomination is as dangerous as it gets

Critics have expressed concern over Trump's choice of Kash Patel to lead the FBI.

Reacting to the news, Atlantic editor Tom Nichols said he doesn't believe in anything except serving President-elect Donald Trump and described the nomination as as dangerous as possible.

“I guess if we still have the capacity to be shocked, this is shocking,” Nichols said. But I think it's something that a lot of us saw coming and, you know, it shouldn't be that surprising. But this is an incredibly dangerous development.

Far-left commentator Mehdi Hasan accused Patel of being a deeply strange, alarming and sycophantic character.

MSNBC's Morning Joe previously called Patel the personification of MAGA's anger against the Justice Department and the FBI.

Andrew McCabe, who briefly served as acting FBI director under Trump in 2017 before being fired for alleged media leaks and lack of candor, called the appointment a plan to disrupt, dismantle and distract the FBI .

This is a terrible development for the men and women of the FBI and also for the nation that depends on a highly functional, professional and independent Federal Bureau of Investigation, McCabe said on CNN. The fact that Kash Patel is completely unqualified for this position is not even up for debate.

JUST IN: Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe rushes to CNN to complain about how 'dangerous' Trump's Kash Patel nomination is, saying it's 'terrible' for 'men and women ” from the FBI.

Amazing.

“This is a terrible development for the men and women of the FBI and also for pic.twitter.com/QbArxg3rd3

Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 1, 2024

Andrea CavallierDecember 1, 2024 3:00 p.m.

Kash Patel's nomination was welcomed by Republicans

Trump's nomination of Kash Patel as FBI director drew immediate enthusiasm and praise from Republicans.

Patel, a longtime Trump loyalist, is critical of government corruption and has criticized the bureau in the past, saying he would close the FBI's Hoover Building on day one and reopen the next day as a museum of the deep state .

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., Trump's pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called Patel a fighter for America First.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, wrote: Kash was INSTRUMENTAL in President Trump's first term and will be EVEN BIGGER in his second! It's time to clean this place up, and Kash is the right man to do it!!! MAGA!

Andrea CavallierDecember 1, 2024 2:20 p.m.

Elon Musk Names Government Financial Oversight Agency He Wants to Eliminate

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur turned political advisor, announced on X that he intends to push Donald Trump's administration to get rid of the Consumer of Financial Protection Bureau, a financial watchdog agency.

The remarkable announcement, made in a nine-word response to an excerpt from The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, is part of Musk's new role as head of the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) committee, which advises Trump on way to reduce government spending. .

Graeme MassieDecember 1, 2024 1:01 p.m.

Experts rip Pete Hegseth after his own mother called him an abuser of women and then tried to take him back

Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick to become defense secretary, has come under fire from Democrats and other liberal pundits after being called an abuser of women by his own mother.

A New York Times report featured a 2018 email to former Fox News anchor Penelope Hegseth, in which she said she had no respect for her son and that he needed to take an honest look on himself.

Graeme MassieDecember 1, 2024 12:05

Trump and his Republican friends focus on tax breaks and evictions in his first 100 days

After winning the election and taking office, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and majority Republican lawmakers in Congress to achieve their policy goals.

Graeme MassieDecember 1, 2024 11:03

Trump threatens to impose 100% tariffs on several countries if they try to undermine the US dollar

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose 100% tariffs on a bloc of nine countries if they act to weaken the U.S. dollar.

His threat targeted the countries of the so-called BRIC alliance, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Graeme MassieDecember 1, 2024 10:05

Joe Rogan says media psychological operation is responsible for people having a negative view of Trump

Joe Rogan claimed that a media psychological operation was responsible for creating a negative image of Donald Trump that distorted people's perceptions of the president-elect.

The MMA commentator and popular podcast host noted an apparent shift in media treatment of the president-elect dating back to a time before his first presidential term.

Graeme MassieDecember 1, 2024 08:01

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