Former national security adviser John Bolton has made a strong statement calling for the Senate to reject President-elect Trump's nomination of Kash Patel for FBI director. Bolton compared the move to Josef Stalin's reign of terror, referencing Lavrentiy Beria, the head of the Soviet secret police under Stalin known for widespread surveillance, repression, and terror.
Bolton emphasized the importance of the Senate rejecting Patel's nomination, stating that 'Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be his Lavrenty Beria' and urging a 100-0 rejection. Patel, a former senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council during the first Trump administration, is seen as a Trump loyalist who may implement drastic reforms within the FBI if confirmed.
