President-elect Donald Trump has a message for the FBI director leaving Dodge before the new sheriff gets into town: Bon voyage, Chris Wray.
In a social media post Wednesday night, shortly after Wray announced — as expected — that he was resigning before Trump could fire him, the president-elect called it a “great day for America” and said “it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice.”
Trump had already announced former National Security Council member Kash Patel as his nominee for FBI director, even though Wray still had three years and change remaining in his 10-year appointment.
While it was clear that a vacancy was going to happen, the question was whether or not Wray — the man behind the Mar-a-Lago raid and the director who “fail[ed] to investigate bribery allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said in an 11-page letter — was going to make a stand and force Trump to fire him or step aside himself.
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Incoming Senate Judiciary Chairman @ChuckGrassley issues damning 11-page letter of the FBI’s widespread malfeasance under the leadership of FBI Director Chris Wray and Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
The Senate cannot confirm @Kash_Patel soon enough.https://t.co/qtZAURpDRS pic.twitter.com/fDQ2fxa6Wf
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) December 9, 2024
That question answered itself Wednesday.
“After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down,” Wray said during a town hall meeting, according to Fox News.
“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work.”
Are you happy Chris Wray resigned?
Trump — who nominated Wray in 2017 after the firing of James Comey — celebrated the FBI director’s decision to step aside in a message on X.
“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” he wrote.
“I just don’t know what happened to him,” he added, assumedly referring to the fact he initially nominated the director.
“We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America,” he continued. “They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them.”
He then put in a good word for the man he’s tapped to lead the bureau.
“Kash Patel is the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History, and is committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again, and soon,” he wrote.
The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice. I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2024
“As everyone knows, I have great respect for the rank-and-file of the FBI, and they have great respect for me,” he continued.
“They want to see these changes every bit as much as I do but, more importantly, the American People are demanding a strong, but fair, System of Justice. We want our FBI back, and that will now happen. I look forward to Kash Patel’s confirmation, so that the process of Making the FBI Great Again can begin. Thank you!”
It’s unclear when Wray’s last day as head of the FBI will be, but the resignation will likely take effect before Trump’s inauguration, Fox News reported.
Patel, who was deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism during the first Trump administration, has an impressive résumé, but establishment Washington has viewed him with perhaps the most suspicion of any Trump nominee thus far.
The most vigorous opponent of the nomination is former Trump national security advisor John Bolton, who has compared Patel to a Soviet police agent and urged a 100-0 vote against him in the Senate.
However, in an appearance on CNN on Monday, Bolton tried to explain away potential support for Patel as a sop for the failure of Matt Gaetz to secure the attorney general slot — a sign, perhaps, he believes the nomination will get through a Republican-controlled Senate.
“I think there’s a temptation, unfortunately, for some to try and appease Trump after they’ve opposed Gaetz by supporting some of his others,” Bolton said, according to The Hill.
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