Kash Patel
Illustration, not an archive object
.jpg){kind=link}
Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation · United States
On the regime page: Trump administration
4 quotes, oldest first. Filter with other speakers.
Content note: Says the media he accuses of lying will be pursued criminally or civilly. The words are shown as they were said or written. Why
“We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections [...] Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”
Patel, then a former Trump administration official and author, was describing what a second Trump administration would do. In 2024 he told NBC News the full quote 'speaks for itself' and that he meant using 'the Constitution and the courts of law' against people 'if they broke the law'.
Interview on Steve Bannon's War Room, December 2023, as quoted by NBC News, "Kash Patel once said he would 'come after' journalists. It now hangs over his FBI candidacy," November 2024 Source
“It's not an enemies list. That is a total mischaracterization”
Replying to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who asked whether former Attorney General William Barr was on 'an enemies list' in Patel's 2023 book Government Gangsters, which contains an appendix of names Patel labelled as 'deep state'. Patel was interrupted and then said the list was 'a glossary in the back'.
Testimony at the nomination hearing of Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 30 January 2025, S. Hrg. 119-134 (GPO, 2025), p. 28 Source
“I have no interest, no desire, and will not, if confirmed, go backward. There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI, should I be confirmed as the FBI Director.”
Answer to Sen. Chris Coons about Patel's earlier statements on pursuing political opponents. Patel said he had told Coons the same in a meeting in the senator's office.
Testimony at the nomination hearing of Kash Patel to be Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 30 January 2025, S. Hrg. 119-134 (GPO, 2025), pp. 35-36 Source
“The Epstein files. Three and a half million pages have been released by this administration. By the prior administration, zero pages were released. This Department of Justice has investigated those files, and we have encouraged individuals to continuously come forward with credible information. We will always investigate victims of human trafficking, as you have seen by the fact that we've arrested over 5,000 child predators and human traffickers, which is the largest number in an 18-month span.”
Answering Durbin's question whether the files contain evidence of wrongdoing by others who were not charged. Durbin replied that Congress had to pass a law to force the release; Patel answered that Democrats could have passed such a law under the Biden administration.
Testimony at the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the FBI, 16 September 2026 (Rev.com transcript), answer to Sen. Richard Durbin at 59:10 Source