In his first television interview since being sworn in as FBI Director, Kash Patel didn’t mince words.
Appearing on Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, Patel laid out a bold, America-first vision for restoring the FBI to its core mission—serving We the People—after years of political weaponization, bureaucratic rot, and deep-state corruption.
Patel told Gowdy that he went off the radar for a month to focus on draining the swamp within the FBI and restoring the agency.
Kash Patel:
I wanted to stay radio silent for the first month, just laser-focused on restoring law enforcement, the credibility and trust of the American people, and getting the weaponization out of there.In order to do that, you need a strong Department of Justice. And we have a courageous leader in Attorney General Pam Bondi and her team over there.
We have to remind folks in the American public that the FBI reports to the Department of Justice. The FBI does not make prosecutorial decisions. We investigate based on lawful predications—anywhere the facts lead us—and we work with our partners at DOJ.
That collaboration has been absolutely brilliant in setting the new foundation for the FBI that we want to see serve the American people. That’s what we’ve been focusing on: restoring the trust through the chain of command and through great leaders like Pam, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche…
One of Patel’s first orders of business was breaking up the D.C. bureaucracy that had transformed the FBI from a crime-fighting agency into a political weapon for the Democrats.
Patel pointed out that over 11,000 of the bureau’s 38,000 employees are stationed within a 50-mile radius of Washington, D.C. — a staggering statistic that shows how bloated and disconnected the agency has become.
Trey Gowdy:
All right, Director, you’ve been very intentional about moving agents out of D.C. and back into the field, which is where they really ought to be. Why is that important to you?Kash Patel:
Well, Trey, you know this is my first media appearance since taking the job, and I’m glad that it’s on your wonderful show.What I want to do is highlight for the American public that there are 38,000 employees at the FBI. If you take the National Capital Region—as the folks around Washington D.C. call it—the 50-mile radius around Washington D.C., we have 11,000 employees for the FBI in that 50-mile radius, give or take.
And a third of the crime does not happen in this region.
A large portion of one of my priorities—fighting violent crime, crushing narco-traffickers, stopping fentanyl overdoses—is happening in anytown USA across this country. They need resources in the form not just of money, but manpower.
So, we’re going to reorient our assets in Washington. We’re going to look at it strategically—as we’ve been doing the last month—and send our agents, analysts, and special operations service operatives into the field to take on this violent crime explosion that has occurred over these last four or five years.
We want to make sure that every state and every county—be it my hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada, or up in Montana, Kansas, Iowa, or Maine—is safe and secure.
The best way to do that is through a proper show of force with the FBI men and women who do this job so courageously every day out in the streets fighting crime.
When Gowdy pressed Patel on how he could remain fair to those who smeared and attacked him for years, the Director’s answer was refreshingly patriotic.
Kash Patel:
Well, Trey, as I tell everybody at the FBI, when I walk in the building, I don’t care what the media says about me.There’s nothing they can say that I haven’t already heard.
As long as I’m taking the arrows and the men and women of the FBI aren’t, I’m winning every single day.
I learned from your great mentorship and friendship on the House Intelligence Committee—where we served together—that the priority is the truth and serving the American people.
That lesson stuck with me to this day.
Also, I’ve got to add in here, Trey—I know I was nominated by President Trump, and I had a lot of support—but a big thanks to you for reaching out to the community that you have on Capitol Hill.
Your voice was heard in those hallways. It carried the message and broke through the glass charade that said, “Oh, Kash Patel cannot lead the FBI because he’s too political.”
But as you just pointed out, I may be one of the most falsely maligned people in all of government service, and I don’t care if they continue to falsely malign me.
What I care about is that the leaders and the American people saw, in 16 years of apolitical government service, that I was there to put the mission first.
I’m indebted to you for allowing me to continue in our friendship and your guidance on the Hill during that process.
During the interview, Patel stated, “The FBI’s Most Wanted Top 10 are now in custody. Before I got into this seat, do you know how many most wanted were arrested by the FBI? ZERO. 4 weeks in, we got 3, and we’re just warming up.”
Watch the full interview below:
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