FBI director Kash Patel seeks direct line to Trump, skips chain of command

Kash Patel wants a secure line to Donald Trump from both his FBI office and his house. Patel's request skips over Attorney General Pam Bondi, changing how things are usually done

FBI Director Kash Patel has allegedly asked for a special phone line straight to US President Donald Trump’s office. This is unusual because FBI bosses normally talk to the US President through the Attorney General, not directly. Kash Patel’s request skips over Attorney General Pam Bondi, changing how things are usually done.

 

For a long time, FBI directors have kept some distance from the White House to stay independent and avoid politics mixing with their work. But now, with Patel in charge, the FBI is connecting directly to the president instead of going through the Department of Justice like before.

 

 

Patel wants a secure line to Trump from both his FBI office and his house. After starting his job, he’s been asking "strange questions" for someone leading an agency that’s supposed to work without political pressure, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. He has asked how to call the White House safely from his office and home, added the report. 

 

Patel also asked about hiring his own private security team. Normally, the FBI gives its director a security team, but Patel’s questions suggest he doesn’t completely trust the FBI agents assigned to protect him.

 

How FBI directors usually contact the US President? 

The first FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover, was close to presidents during his nearly 50 years in charge. He even had a special phone at home just for talking to the president, according to his biographer Beverly Gage. But after Hoover, the FBI and White House have stayed more separate. Normally, an FBI director contacts the president by going through the Attorney General. FBI officials can’t bring cell phones to work, but many have secure landlines on their desks to call places like the White House or CIA.

 

An FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, said these reports about Patel’s odd requests aren’t true. He told The Wall Street Journal that Patel is focused on fighting crime, keeping law and order, and making sure FBI agents have what they need. Williamson said the FBI isn’t interested in responding to fake stories that get in the way of their work.

 

Kash Patel and Pam Bondi disagree over Epstein Files 

Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi have upset some Trump supporters because they haven’t kept promises about the Epstein Files. The latest files released didn’t reveal anything surprising. Bondi said it’s the FBI’s fault for holding back information. Patel, on the other hand, promised that under him, the FBI wouldn’t hide anything, all Epstein records would come out, and there’d be no missing documents.