President-elect Donald J. Trump has ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to hold on to records from its now defunct diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office, suspecting possible corruption. The FBI closed the DEI office in December, publicly confirming its closure earlier this week. President-elect Trump believes the office was closed only because of his election victory and corruption within the agency.
“We demand that the FBI preserve and retain all records, documents, and information on the now closing DEI Office—Never should have been opened and, if it was, should have closed long ago,” Trump said on Truth Social on Thursday, January 16. “Why are they closing one day before the Inauguration of a new Administration? The reason is CORRUPTION!” he added. The FBI has not given a reason for the office’s closure.
President-elect Trump has nominated former federal prosecutor Kash Patel to replace outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray. The announcement led former Special Agent Daniel Brunner to release a panicked statement claiming Patel could do “massive damage” to the agency’s “interior.”
Last month, another report revealed that the FBI had reportedly spied on Patel’s communications when he was investigating the agency’s actions during the Russia hoax, obtaining phone and email records.
Patel has many endorsements, however, including from the National Police Association (NPA), which stated that Patel has a “proven record of leadership” and labeled him an “ideal candidate to restore faith in the FBI’s mission.”
The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam has also endorsed Patel, stating that the incoming Trump administration needs an entire cabinet filled with people similar to Patel who will take on the Deep State.