Who is Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, who could become the next CIA director?

Kashyap Patel, a 44-year-old lawyer born in New York, whose Gujarati parents moved from Uganda in East Africa to the US in the 1970s, is being talked about as the next CIA Director.

“Kash” Patel is a die-hard Trump loyalist, and is described as a man “who would do anything” for Donald Trump in a report by The Atlantic.

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Patel completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond, and got a law degree from Pace University, New York and a Certificate in International Law from University College London Faculty of Laws in the UK.

Began career as public defender

He began his career as a public defender in Miami, and spent about nine years tackling complicated cases involving murder, narco-trafficking, and financial crimes.

Patel then moved to the federal government, joining the Department of Justice as a terrorism prosecutor. He led several investigations and prosecutions of people linked to terror groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. He also acted as the Justice Department’s Liaison Officer to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) which carries out global counterterrorism operations.

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Another important turn in his career was when he was hired by Representative Devin Nunes, then chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Patel led the committee’s investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

He played a major role in drafting the four-page “Nunes Memo” that criticised the Justice Department’s methods in obtaining a surveillance warrant for a former Trump campaign volunteer. This memo seemed to have impressed Trump.

Joined the NSC

In February 2019, Patel joined the National Security Council (NSC) as a staffer, and went on to become senior director of the Counterterrorism Directorate. Among the operations he oversaw during this period were the ones against ISIS and Al-Qaeda leaders, including the elimination of Al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of American hostages held by the Syrian government.

A year later, he was appointed Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of National Intelligence in the previous Trump administration who oversees the various intelligence agencies in the US and handles the President’s daily briefing on the security situation.

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He later became the chief of staff to the Acting Defence Secretary Christopher Miller, and gained valuable experience and influence over the Defence Department’s operations.

Towards the end of Trump’s tenure as President, Patel was being considered for the role of deputy director of the CIA or FBI, but the move was opposed by the CIA Director Gina Haspel and the Attorney General Bill Barr, who felt he lacked the necessary experience for the roles.

After the end of Trump's first term, Patel left the government but remained active in promoting the former’s agenda. He served on the board of directors for Trump Media and Technology Group that owns the Truth Social media platform.

With Donald Trump winning a second term, Kashyap Patel seems to be assured of a senior position in his administration.