Kashyap Pramod Patel, popularly known as Kash Patel, a key figure in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, may get the role of deputy director of the CIA. Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel is often described as someone who would “do anything for Donald Trump”. ‘Kash’ Patel is a former Republican staffer who served in various high-ranking staff roles in the defence and intelligence communities during Trump’s first term. Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel has frequently appeared on the campaign trail to rally support for Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is now the 47th President of the United States.

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In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of the president-elect. During Trump’s first term, Patel drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president

Some Trump allies would like to see Kash Patel, considered the ultimate Trump loyalist, appointed CIA director, reported news agency Reuters. Any position requiring Senate confirmation may be a challenge, however.

Who is Kashyap Patel, Trump’s likely pick for CIA chief?

-Kashyap Patel has Gujarati ancestry and was born in New York’s Garden city in 1980. According to a report in The Atlantic, Patel’s parents grew up in East Africa. His father Pramod left Uganda in the 1970s when Idi Amin was dictator.ALSO READ: Donald Trump’s comeback: From dollars to markets, what’s at stake for global economy?-Kashyap 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 UK. Patel got the idea for becoming a lawyer after caddying for some rich and powerful New Yorkers.

-Raised Hindu, his senior-yearbook quote was by Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel: “Racism is man’s gravest threat – the maximum of hatred for a minimum reason.” Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel is a lawyer with limited government experience and spent nearly nine years in Miami courts, handling complex cases including murder, narco-trafficking, and financial crimes.

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-After his schooling in New York and college in Richmond, Virginia, and law school in New York, Kash Patel went to Florida where he was a state public defender for four years and then federal public defender for another four years.

-From Florida, he moved to Washington DC as a terrorism prosecutor at the Department of Justice. Here he was an international terrorism prosecutor for about three and a half years. During this period, Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel worked on cases all over the world, in America in East Africa as well as in Uganda and Kenya, according to PTI.

-Kash Patel, 44, ascended quickly through ranks after joining the Trump administration in 2019. He has served as the former Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. He executed several of then-President Donald Trump’s top priorities, including eliminating ISIS and al-Qaeda leadership like al-Baghdadi and Qasem al-Rimi, and the repatriation of many American hostages.

-He had also served as the National Security Advisor and Senior Counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he spearheaded the investigation into the Russian active measures campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election, according to a report in NDTV.

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-The Atlantic describes Kashyap Patel as the man “who will do anything for Trump”, who is now the president-elect after pulling off a remarkable victory in the just-concluded elections. The report said Trump planned to push Patel deputy director of the CIA in the final weeks of his administration, but faced pushback.

-Kashyap Patel has leaned into controversy throughout his career. In an interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon last year, he promised to “come after” politicians and journalists perceived to be enemies of the president-elect. During Trump’s first term, Patel drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.

FAQs

What is Kash Patel’s background?

Kashyap Patel has Gujarati ancestry, was born in 1980 in Garden City, New York. He has a law degree along with a Certificate in International Law from University College London.

What contributions did Kash Patel make during Trump’s first term?

Patel executed several top priorities for Trump, including the elimination of ISIS and al-Qaeda leadership and the repatriation of American hostages.

What religion Kash Patel follows?

Kash Patel was raised as a Hindu

(With agency inputs)