Washington, United States:
Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, a loyalist of US President Donald Trump, has been confirmed as the first Indian-origin Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director. The Republican-controlled US Senate approved him by a 51-49 vote on Thursday. Dan Scavino, assistant to the President and White House Deputy Chief of Staff welcomed Mr Patel in a Bollywood style.
Mr Scavino shared a dance clip on X of the song ‘Malhari’ from the movie ‘Bajirao Mastani’ featuring actor Ranveer Singh – except Mr Singh’s face is replaced with Mr Patel. The song roughly translates to: “Let’s play the song of happiness…We have crushed our enemies”.
“Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, @Kash_Patel,” Mr Scavino captioned it.
Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, @Kash_Patel! pic.twitter.com/JsANV0s9cP
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) February 20, 2025
The 47-second clip has so far received over three million views and more than 10,000 likes.
The Republican-led US Senate confirmed Mr Patel in a narrow majority vote of 51-49, with two Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting with all Democrats against confirming Mr Trump’s nominee. However, Mr Patel overcame their opposition and that of the Democrats, one of whom warned at a press conference outside the FBI headquarters in Washington DC, that Mr Patel “will cause evil in this building behind us”.
Shortly after his confirmation, Mr Patel thanked Mr Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi for their support and emphasised his commitment to restoring public trust in the FBI. He also vowed to rebuild the agency into one that is “transparent, accountable, and committed to justice”.
“The FBI has a storied legacy-from the “G-Men” to safeguarding our nation in the wake of 9/11. The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice. The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust-but that ends today. My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops-and rebuild trust in the FBI,” he wrote in a post on X.
“Mission First. America Always. Let’s get to work,” the new FBI director added.
I am honored to be confirmed as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for your unwavering confidence and support.
The FBI has a storied legacy—from the “G-Men” to safeguarding our nation in the wake of…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 20, 2025
Born in New York in 1980 to Gujarati parents, Mr Patel grew up in East Africa. He graduated from the Garden City High School in Long Island. According to his Department of Defense profile, Mr Patel completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond before returning to New York to earn his law degree and a certificate in International Law from the University College London Faculty of Laws in the United Kingdom.
He has also served as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).