Kash Patel: podcast appearances and interviews

Kash Patel is an American lawyer and government official with a notable career spanning various roles within the United States government. He has served as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2025 and briefly as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Patel has held significant positions including chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense, deputy assistant to the president, and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. His educational background includes studies in criminal justice and history at the University of Richmond and a law degree from Pace University School of Law. Patel’s early legal career involved work as a public defender in Miami-Dade County and the Southern District of Florida. Between 2012 and 2017, he worked as a staff member at the Department of Justice, after which he became a senior aide to Congressman Devin Nunes. During this period, he was the primary author of the Nunes memo, which alleged abuse of authority by FBI officials in the investigation into links between associates of Donald Trump and Russia. In 2019, Patel joined the National Security Council’s International Organizations and Alliances directorate, later becoming the principal deputy director of national intelligence in 2020. After the departure of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Patel was appointed as chief of staff to acting Secretary Christopher C. Miller. In 2024, he was nominated and confirmed as FBI director, becoming the first person of South Asian descent in this role. His tenure has included controversy and scrutiny related to his professional conduct and use of federal resources.