President Donald Trump has promised to shake up the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) by implementing day-one changes, with key senior roles being reassigned. The shakeup began with the announcement by former FBI Director Christopher Wray that he would step down, followed by acting director Paul Abbate’s resignation hours before Trump’s inauguration. The Associated Press reported that around 20 senior staff members were reassigned, including the head of the Justice Department’s office of international affairs, Bruce Swartz.
In his first few days in office, Trump announced Brian Driscoll as acting director of the FBI, and Driscoll’s time as acting director is expected to end when Kashyap “Kash” Patel is confirmed as the FBI’s next director. Patel, a longtime ally of Trump, is a frequent critic of the FBI and has promised to root out corruption within the agency.
According to former FBI agent and Fox News contributor Nicole Parker, Abbate’s retirement was a “good idea,” given his involvement in pushing for the raid on Mar-a-Lago and the Jan. 6 misdemeanor cases. Parker also believes that federal employees should be held accountable and removed if they are not performing their jobs to the best of their ability.
Trump has signed a memorandum on day one entitled “Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives,” stating that federal employees can be fired. Parker supports this move, stating that those who are not doing their jobs should be removed.
Driscoll, the new acting director, has a background in counterterrorism and tactical experience, serving as the commander of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. He is leading the agency until Patel’s Senate confirmation process is complete. Robert Kissane, the top counterterrorism agent in New York, will serve as acting deputy director.
