President Trump is "tightening his grip" on the FBI and DOJ, fulfilling a campaign pledge to uproot the so-called Deep State and sparking backlash from critics in the media.
A new article about Trump's efforts in the Wall Street Journal, a newspaper skeptical of Trump, accuses the president of eroding the supposed "independence" of the FBI and DOJ by installing trusted allies to advance his priorities on crime and immigration.
Trump has pitched his overhaul of the FBI and DOJ as a campaign to end "weaponization," but Trump's critics have accused him of a hostile takeover that threatens the rule of law.
The president has given top DOJ jobs to his former defense lawyers like Emil Bove, now the second-highest ranking DOJ official. Bove sparked controversy last month when he ordered charges against New York mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, to be dropped, citing his cooperation on immigration enforcement.
The Journal's article is especially critical of Trump's choice in FBI director, Kash Patel. A longtime Trump loyalist, Patel has excited backlash over his alleged plans to seek retribution on Trump's behalf.
Patel is upholding his reputation as an outsider to the agency he now leads, requesting a secure line to contact the president directly, the Journal reported, noting the FBI chief usually reports to the deputy attorney general. The Journal painted Patel's closeness with Trump as a corrupt throwback to the era of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first director, who dabbled heavily in politics during his 50 years at the helm.
Meanwhile, Patel has asked about hiring his own private security detail, making it clear he does not trust the FBI agents tasked with protecting him, the Journal reported.
"Director Patel is aggressively working to deliver on removing criminals from our streets, restoring law and order, and ensuring agents have the resources they need to perform their duties effectively," FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson said.
According to the center-right Wall Street Journal, the president's moves risk undermining the "traditionally independent ethos" of the FBI and DOJ.
Defenders of Trump's reforms would likely object that the FBI has been aligned with the left for years, regardless of the political affiliation of the president. Patel's predecessor Christopher Wray, a Republican appointed by Trump during his first term, oversaw an unprecedented raid of Trump's home in 2022.
The FBI has had a hostile relationship with Trump since his first presidential run in 2016, when the agency infamously spied on his campaign using opposition research funded by his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Under President Biden, the FBI and DOJ intervened in electoral politics like never before, with Trump facing two federal prosecutions as he campaigned for re-election against Biden, and then vice president Kamala Harris.
With Trump back in office, the DOJ's focus is shifting away from "lawfare" and the hunt for so-called domestic extremism - a term the Biden administration often used loosely to target the MAGA movement - as Trump's deputies emphasize traditional law-and-order priorities like border security.
The Journal's sources said that Stephen Miller, the longtime Trump adviser known for his hardline immigration views, regularly talks to top DOJ officials.
