OAN Staff Blake Wolf
5:29 PM – Friday, December 27, 2024
William Webster, a former CIA and FBI director, is calling on the Senate to reject President-elect Donald Trump’s picks of Kash Patel for FBI director and Tulsi Gabbard of national intelligence, claiming that the two are unqualified.
Webster, the former Reagan-era FBI director, is the only individual to have led both the FBI and the CIA.
He is 100 years old and was born in 1924.
Webster was appointed to head the FBI in 1978 by former Democrat President Jimmy Carter, and he remained in the position for two full terms under former GOP President Ronald Reagan, before becoming the director of the CIA under former GOP President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Webster voiced his concerns, arguing that he is “deeply concerned” about Patel and Gabbard as Trump administration picks, adding that both positions require “complete independence from political influence.”
Webster also stated that he was particularly concerned with Patel for his history of personal loyalty to Trump, which he argued could conflict with the law.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity. Statements such as ‘He’s my intel guy’ and his record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law—a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” he wrote.
Patel has been a long outspoken critic of the FBI’s investigation into Trump, previously declaring that he would rid the agency of globalist “deep state” actors. He also previously characterized certain Democrat officials as “government gangsters.”
100-year-old Webster also criticized Gabbard for her “profound lack” of U.S. intelligence agency experience, adding that the top intelligence post “requires unparalleled expertise.”
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations,” he continued. “Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished.”
Gabbard has been criticized by talking heads of the mainstream media, labeling her as a “Russian asset” for simply opposing the United States’ funding of the war in Ukraine. The media has repeatedly accused her of parroting “Russian talking points,” despite Gabbard serving in the Army National Guard and being deployed to Iraq in 2004.
Meanwhile, MAGA supporters and the Trump transition team ran to the defense of Gabbard and Patel.
“Kash Patel is loyal to the Constitution. He’s worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles,” said Alex Pfeiffer, a Trump transition spokesman.
“It shouldn’t be news that someone who has endorsed Joe Biden, who has been wrong on every single foreign policy disaster over the last four years, and Kamala Harris opposes President Trump’s nominees. Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress, as someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” stated Alexa Henning, a Trump transition official.
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