Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe expressed concern about Kash Patel, who is reportedly being considered for FBI leadership in Donald Trump's upcoming administration.
Speaking on CNN's The Source on Thursday, McCabe said: "No part of the FBI's mission is safe with Kash Patel in any position of leadership in the FBI and certainly not in the deputy director's job.
"If you enter into that position with nothing more than a desire to disrupt and destroy the organization, there is a lot of damage someone like Kash Patel could do in a position like deputy director at the FBI."
McCabe, who served as deputy director of the FBI under Barack Obama and Trump from 2016 to 2018, said that the job manages the FBI's daily operations, a role typically requiring extensive experience in both criminal and national security investigations.
"I can tell you from my own experience, there is no way I could have successfully performed in that role without having spent the first 10 years of my career doing criminal work in the FBI, and the next 10 years doing national security work," McCabe said. "The scope of authority is enormous."
McCabe contrasted Patel's candidacy with former Michigan Representative Mike Rogers, another potential nominee for FBI director, describing Rogers as "a totally reasonable, logical selection." Rogers was an FBI special agent in the 1980s and 1990s.
Newsweek has contacted Trump's transition team via email for comment.
McCabe is not the only former-FBI figure criticizing Patel's potential nomination.
On Sunday, Former FBI Special Agent Daniel Brunner told CNN that Patel could cause "massive damage" to the agency.
"Putting someone like Kash Patel in the position of director of the FBI is, I believe, extremely, extremely dangerous because ... his resume isn't traditional," Brunner said.
Brunner claimed Patel aims to seek revenge on those who investigated Trump and warned of potential unjust firings among FBI personnel under Patel's leadership.
Patel's career includes roles as a public defender, federal prosecutor, and aide to Representative Devin Nunes, where he investigated alleged DOJ misconduct during Trump's first campaign.
A close Trump ally, Patel served as chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller during the January 6 Capitol riot.
Patel has publicly criticized the "deep state" and wrote a book called Government Gangsters, which calls for a clearing out of the Justice Department and the Intelligence community by firing top officials and prosecuting civil servants he says abused their authority for political ends.
If Patel assumes a leadership position, he would oversee tens of thousands of FBI employees, including agents and analysts, responsible for enforcing federal laws.
The FBI director, an executive branch official, is tasked with managing field offices and ensuring proper handling of cases and operations nationwide.
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