Who is Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel? A closer look at Trump’s likely choice for CIA chief

Kashyap Patel (Image: defense.gov)

Donald Trump, the former president, clinched a second term in office on Wednesday, marking one of the greatest comebacks in US political history by defeating Democratic rival Kamala Harris in a closely fought election.

Following his election victory, Trump is expected to begin selecting his cabinet and appointing other senior administration officials in the coming weeks.

Jamie Dimon, Scott Bessent, and John Paulson, all steadfast Trump allies, are seen as top contenders for key positions. However, Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel is expected to receive a major national security role.

Who is Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, likely to be next CIA chief?

- Reports indicate that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel, a figure known for his fierce loyalty and described as willing to "do anything for Trump," is likely to be named the next Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief.

- Born in New York, Patel’s parents were reportedly Gujarati immigrants who had previously moved to the US from another country.

-Kashyap 'Kash' Patel completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Richmond before returning to New York to earn his law degree, along with a Certificate in International Law from University College London Faculty of Laws in the United Kingdom.

- After graduating from law school at Pace University, Patel failed to get a job at the prestigious law firms he’d hoped to join. Instead, he became a public defender and spent nearly nine years in local and federal courts in Miami before joining the Justice Department.

- According to his US Department of Defense profile, Patel began his career as a public defender, trying scores of complex cases ranging from murder, to narco-trafficking, to complex financial crimes in jury trials in state and federal courts.

- Kash Patel was hired as a staffer for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence led by Republican Devin Nunes, a fierce Trump ally. Nunes gave Patel a job running the committee’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

- Patel oversaw the execution of several of President Donald Trump’s top priorities, including eliminating ISIS and Al-Qa’ida leadership such as al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the safe repatriation of numerous American hostages, according to his US Department of Defense profile.

- He also served as the Department of Justice (DOJ) Liaison Officer to Joint Special Operations Command and worked with several key counterterrorism units “to conduct collaborative global targeting operations against high value terrorism targets”.