President-elect Donald Trump has selected Kash Patel to lead the FBI, a move that has sparked significant media attention. The portrayal of Patel, however, varies widely depending on the political leanings of the news outlet.

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Media headlines offer contrasting views of Trump FBI pick Kash Patel

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Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor), Ali Caldwell (Motion Graphics Designer)

President-elect Donald Trump has selected Kash Patel to lead the FBI, a move that has sparked significant media attention. The portrayal of Patel, however, varies widely depending on the political leanings of the news outlet.

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Left-leaning outlets have offered a more critical view of Patel. The Associated Press described him as an “ally who would aid in [Trump’s] effort to upend law enforcement.”

The New York Times highlighted what it describes as “bravado and baggage” in relation to the role.

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In contrast, right-wing media outlets, such as the New York Post, called Patel a “longtime ally” of Trump tapped to lead the FBI. Fox News characterized him as someone with a history of challenging the “deep state” and vowed to fight America’s “crime epidemic” and disrupt drug and human trafficking.

Some outlets have provided more specific reactions to Trump’s pick, showcasing differing perspectives. The Washington Examiner, which leans right, emphasized New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney’s enthusiasm for Patel, praising him as a “true fighter” who would restore the FBI’s credibility.

On the other hand, The Hill spoke with former national security adviser John Bolton. In the article, Bolton compared Patel to Lavrentiy Beria, a feared leader of the Soviet secret police.

Bolton called for the Senate to reject the nomination, saying, “Fortunately, the FBI is not the NKVD. The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0.”

Patel is a lawyer and former federal prosecutor. He previously served as chief of Staff to the U.S. secretary of defense during Trump’s first term.

If confirmed, Patel would replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has already stated he won’t step down. The Senate would need to confirm Patel, and a simple majority would be required. The GOP holds a slim majority in the Senate, allowing only three defections for a confirmation to pass.

While several high-profile Republicans have voiced support for Patel, two Republican senators, Mike Rounds and Chuck Grassley, have yet to commit. Both have said they need to hear more from Patel on why he’s the right choice to lead the FBI.

Tags: Digital Media, Donald Trump, FBI, Media Bias, Media Landscape, news media

[Karah]

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP HAS PICKED KASH PATEL TO LEAD THE FBI.

THAT ANNOUNCEMENT – GENERATING A LOT OF HEADLINES.

BUT HOW KASH PATEL IS CHARACTERIZED –

WIDELY DIFFERS DEPENDING ON WHAT NEWS ARTICLE YOU CLICK –

AND THE POLITICAL BIAS OF THAT OUTLET.

FIRST –

A LOOK AT LEFT AND LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS’ COVERAGE OF PATEL.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS –

“TRUMP TAPS KASH PATEL FOR FBI DIRECTOR, AN ALLY WHO WOULD AID IN HIS EFFORT TO UPEND LAW ENFORCEMENT.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES –

“KASH PATEL WOULD BRING BRAVADO AND BAGGAGE TO FBI ROLE.”

RIGHT AND RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS –

LIKE THE NEW YORK POST –

“TRUMP TAPS “LONGTIME ALLY” KASH PATEL TO LEAD FBI”

AND FOX NEWS “TRUMP’S PICK TO LEAD THE FBI HAS LONG HISTORY VOWING TO BUST UP DEEP STATE.”

SOME OTHER NEWS OUTLETS ARE HIGHLIGHTING SPECIFIC REACTION TO TRUMP’S PICK – BUT WITH CONTRASTING VIEWS.

RIGHT-LEANING WASHINGTON EXAMINER HIGHLIGHTING CONGRESSWOMAN CLAUDIA TENNEY’S “ENTHUSIASM” OVER “TRUE FIGHTER” KASH PATEL “RESTORING THE FBI.”

THE HILL – WHICH HAS BEEN RATED AS DOWN THE CENTER –

HIGHLIGHTING TRUMP’S FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JOHN BOLTON COMPARING “KASH PATEL TO A SOVIET SECRET POLICE LEADER.”

KASH PATEL – IS A LAWYER AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AT THE DOJ –

HE WAS THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DURING TRUMP’S FIRST TERM.

WHILE TRUMP WANTS PATEL TO LEAD THE FBI –

CURRENT DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY WOULD HAVE TO RESIGN OR BE FIRED –

WRAY HAS ALREADY SAID HE’S NOT STEPPING DOWN.

THEN THE SENATE WOULD HAVE TO CONFIRM PATEL.

WHAT WOULD PATEL BRING TO THE AGENCY?

THE MEDIA IS OFFERING DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION.

THE TIMES’ ARTICLE STARTS LIKE THIS.

“Few people tapped for any top federal post, much less a job as vital as F.B.I. director, have come with quite so much bravado, bombast or baggage as Kash Patel.

On Saturday, Mr. Patel, a Long Island-born provocateur and right-wing operative, was named by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the F.B.I.”

FOX NEWS OFFERED A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE –

STARTING THEIR ARTICLE OFF – “President-elect Trump tapped longtime ally and crusader against the “deep state,” Kashyap “Kash” Patel to lead the FBI, where he will work to snuff out America’s “crime epidemic,” bust up migrant gangs, and stymie drug and human trafficking.”

REACTION TO PATEL HAS ALSO WIDELY DIFFERED DEPENDING ON THE PERSPECTIVE.

THE HILL REPORTING ON BOLTON’S POINT OF VIEW –

“Former national security adviser John Bolton compared Kash Patel, President-elect Trump’s nominee to head the FBI, to one of the former Soviet Union’s most feared secret police chiefs.

“Trump has nominated Kash Patel to be his Lavrentiy Beria,” Bolton said in a statement to NBC News’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday. “Fortunately, the FBI is not the NKVD. The Senate should reject this nomination 100-0.”

THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER OFFERING A REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN’S REACTION –

“Rep. Claudia Tenney shared excitement over President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel, citing how he “loves America” who would restore the public’s faith in the agency. He wants an FBI that’s accountable to the American people, that restores our system of justice and restores credibility. They’ve lost all credibility right now, and I think this is a tremendous pick.”

A SIMPLE MAJORITY OF SENATORS WOULD NEED TO CONFIRM PATEL.

THE GOP DOES HOLD THE MAJORITY – BUT ITS A SLIM ONE.

THEY CAN ONLY AFFORD TO LOSE THREE VOTES FOR PATEL OR ANY CABINET PICK TO BE CONFIRMED.

AND WHILE SEVERAL HIGH-PROFILE REPUBLICANS HAVE ALREADY EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT FOR PATEL –

SO FAR TWO SENATE REPUBLICANS – MIKE ROUNDS AND CHUCK GRASSLEY – HAVE ALSO NOT COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE PICK – UNTIL THEY HEAR PATEL’S PITCH ON WHY HE’S THE RIGHT PERSON TO LEAD THE FBI.

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