What many would consider the best endorsement for some of the president-elect’s nominees came courtesy of a centenarian intelligence expert’s calls for their rejection.
Since his victory, President-elect Donald Trump’s staffing nominations have proven triggering to those with hopes of seeing the status quo maintained in Washington, D.C. This week, that included the submission of a letter from William Webster, the only man to serve as director of both the FBI and the CIA, to the Senate voicing opposition to Kash Patel and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Obtained by Politico, the letter sent Thursday spoke out against Trump’s picks for director of the FBI and national intelligence, respectively, challenging their qualifications and commitments.
Of Patel specifically, Webster, who’d also served as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, wrote, “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.”
In lamenting the GOP leader’s selection of Gabbard, the intelligence insider decried a “profound lack” of experience in the field and contended, “Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations. Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished.”
Tapped by President Jimmy Carter to head the FBI after time spent as a federal judge, Webster followed a decade as a G-man by leading the CIA from the end of President Ronald Reagan’s administration through most of President George H. W. Bush’s before he was selected by President George W. Bush in 2005 to chair the Homeland Security Advisory Council. That role carried him through the administrations of President Barack Obama and Trump.
Closing his pitch to the Senate against Patel and Gabbard, Webster wrote, “I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience. The safety of the American people — and your own families — depends on it.”
Similar to reactions to most anything done by President Joe Biden, junior to Webster by roughly 20-years, many wondered at whether the man who would celebrate his 101st birthday in March had anything to do with the letter.
Meanwhile, as the letter voiced concerns about the loyalties of Trump’s nominees, who had well-documented bones to pick with weeding out the “deep state,” others sounded off on where Webster’s loyalties resided.
As was the case with efforts to derail the nominations of Pete Hegesth for defense secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services and former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general, for which he had withdrawn his own name, the determination to block Trump’s picks for his second administration was received as confirmation that they were well-suited for the task of draining the swamp.
Yeah, and he’s 100 years old saying his biggest concern with Kash Patel is that he is “too loyal” to Trump.
Really shows how far back the swamp goes.
— LUCKY BUNNY (@xoxomrslucky) December 27, 2024
If the deep state says no, then it is an emphatic, yes.
— Mike (@PartayCaptain) December 27, 2024
Correct.
— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) December 27, 2024
That’s an endorsement of both Kash and Tulsi.
— Saint James (@piquedbyperique) December 28, 2024
All the more reason they both need to be confirmed!
— Jeff Badley (@Jeffb2023x) December 28, 2024
I love it when all the right people are afraid of what is to come.
— Clara Winslow (@clara_winslow) December 27, 2024
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Rogan fired up that liberal policies are allowing monsters to eat our house pets - December 17, 2025
- Customer bullies Target employee over Charlie Kirk shirt, but it doesn’t go quite as planned - December 17, 2025
- Merrick Garland lied about Mar-a-Lago raid recently declassified emails show - December 17, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!
