Yep, I wrote about this turd in an admittedly paranoid post about how Trump is already becoming a shadow president via Leon Musk. After seeing his later speeches and interviews, I'm convinced he's on the edge of vegetation. I suspect Patel is his choice, but the rapid fire nature of these picks tells me others are very hard at work shoving names in front of the drooling maniac.
I would suggest that the last-straw for Biden was the prospect of Kash Patel exacting revenge on the Biden family by way of Hunter. He could see the future and knew something had to be done. It doesn't look good when you look at precedent. But we are less that two months away from all the rules changing. No ethics precedents will be guiding these departments. None. So there is no way to trust the process. And that, to me, is why Biden acted on this now.
We should be talking about the real dangers and this piece is excellent. All the precedent stuff is noise when we are looking at the prospect of an FBI and DOJ and CIA and DOD that resemble the era of the 60s. JFK. RFK. MLK — would like a word.
I had to share this one. Patel is dangerous and should not be confirmed. I will continue to write and call my reps and demand that they fulfill their oaths to the constitution and to WE THE PEOPLE and not confirm these horrible underqualifed candidates.....
My faith in Senate Republicans acting responsibly was somewhat restored by their collective distaste in approving Matt Gaetz as Trump's Attorney General. I am hopeful Kash Patel will receive the same level of scrutiny!
As a big fan of “Dumb and Dumber,” I resent the comparison to Patel and any other Trump worshipper. Other than that, thank you Jay for that extremely informative exposé.
All if it is scary, and all we are hearing about now is Hunter's pardon. No F's given about the corruption of those Tritler pardoned.
But thanks to all of your hard work keeping us informed I can at least have ammo and speak intelligently about what is coming at us- or at least what is proposed. And thank goodness for those journalists who keep digging and finding dirt, the more that comes out the better we are. Being a frump nominee I'm sure there is much more dirt on Patel than meets the eye- I mean other than being a extreme windbag.
At least Rachel Maddow is not. Last night she gave us the history lesson from her podcast Ultra Season 2. Republicans in McCarthy era provided the push that resulted in suicide of a Senator over the actions of his son.
"Patel is the most dangerous nominee we’ve seen, ..... "
This kind of superlative doesn't work anymore. Is a QAnon-sympathizer-conspiracy-theorist-sycophant nominee to head the FBI worse than a drunk-predator-Christian-Nationalist who couldn't organize his way out of a wet paper bag nominee for Secretary of Defense, or worse than a man who has no military or naval experience nominated to be Secretary of the Navy, all overseen by a power-mad billionaire determined to destroy everything around him? Which one is the worst?
I get that. But it’s not about comparing which of them has the worst traits. It’s about assessing the level of damage they can actually do to our democracy. As FBI Director, Patel would have much more freedom to do some really terrible things.
Oh, yes. He could come for thee and me personally, each and all. Warrants, indictments, trials, punishment. Those others are dangerous, but not on an individual basis. HE would be the Gestapo. Or KGB.
Jay, lots of talk about Biden issuing blanket pardons to those on Patel/trump’s “hit list”. Can this be done even though they haven’t committed a not committed a crime?
As I've said, I'd like to see a blanket (thought limited) pardon for anyone who said anything about the "Russia investigation" or the "stolen election" claim. Not sure if that broad a pardon is possible, but if trump objects on broadness and wants to pardon the J6 folks he would have to do it one by one. Not sure he has the attention span to get all of them onto a piece of paper.
The "limited" would be "from any prosecution involving what was said." Don't want to pardon some Fox reporter for a sexual assault just because he mentioned Russia at some point.
HE would not have to do it one-by-one. He's got people for that. Get the paperwork together, he signs each one, badda-boom, badda-bing done. Probably just do it by autopen.
Maybe the pen machine. Don’t think he has the stamina to hold a pen long enough to pardon all of them. Maybe he can waive his magic wand, the one he uses for declassification.
Yep - I believe that's it. He will have a stack of papers in front of him, signing industriously away while the cameras roll. The second the cameras are out, he'll get up and head for the golf course; an aide will fire up the autopen, and *boom* the insurrectionists are pardoned.
So Biden CAN issue blanket pardons to those on Patel/trump list? If he does, is this setting up a bad precedent for trump and future presidents? Or would that be something that the Supreme Court would have to rule on?
What the pardon power actually covers is "offenses against the United States." Heaven knows what offenses Ka$h can come up with. I have no idea whether there are limits to the pardon power. Not many, it is clear. It would probably be an issue for the Extremes. At the LEAST in would slow down the intimidation part of the Patel scheme (as opposed to actual possible prosecutions).
Patel hasn't considered that a lot of journalists speaking on the "Russia Hoax" did so primarily in 2017. If he wants to use the Espionage Act he's looking at a 10 year statute of limitations and will have to smother the ground with actions pretty quickly. Finding grand juries who will vote to indict could take a while.
Indeed, the competition among appointees for who is the most dangerous, idiotic, clueless, corrupt, vengeful, criminal and downright disgusting - is fierce. And the ones who check the most boxes may actually get the nod. Goddess help us!
I am one of the unfortunate persons who knew about Patel. I will call my senators and representative about him although my guess is that they already know.
I was a bit close to a teenager when J Edger Hover Passed now, I understand when I asked my Grandmother what was the "Underworld" She freaked out. When I voted for Gus Hall and Angla Davies my mother threw a fit ( that was the early 70's) a lot of that did not make sense at the time but heard stories that no President ever though of firing ole Edger. Some claim Ole J edger hover had a file on them!! Will I resist. You bet , Like John Lewis I will do good trouble!
I am contacting Colorado Senator Michael Bennet about his condemnation of Hunter Biden's pardon. Bennet is a Democrat! I'm not sure if he has a personal grudge against President Joe Biden or he's trying to curry favor with the orange blight's administration. Either way, I view Senator Michael Bennet a trader too.
Arguments against Patel at the FBI could fill several volumes of the old Encyclopedia Britannica, yet Senate GOPers are persisting in the "Three Monkeys" rôle, of "hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil", despite being force-fed the man's staggering improprieties of speech and action.
Perhaps people were right about the Gaetz nomination/withdrawal and what followed: "A president has a right to choose his Cabinet" sort of thing, and no more obstruction or gainsaying of tRump's Klown-Kar occupants after the Gaetz defenestration
The President has the right to pick anyone he wants to a Cabinet position. And the (expletive) Senate has a right AND OBLIGATION to look into that pick and say yea or nay. It’s called Separation of Powers — I read about it somewhere…
(Debbie, sorry for the rant; I know you already know this. I’m just topped out and overflowing with a bad case of rage right now. Time to play word games until I’m called down. Say in, 2028? Maybe?)
Hmmm.... maybe the FBI should go old school, like John Edgar Hoover old school and start blackmailing Republicans so they won't appoint Patel or anyone else who won't leave the FBI intact. Oh, yeah... I forgot. Blackmail won't work. So many of their secrets are already out there and no one cares.
Thank you for your brilliant analysis as always, Jay. Public servants like me will resist Kash, Trump, and Projecg 2025 fascism. That is how we protected democracy during the first term. https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/public-servant-democracy-defender-introduction
Yep, I wrote about this turd in an admittedly paranoid post about how Trump is already becoming a shadow president via Leon Musk. After seeing his later speeches and interviews, I'm convinced he's on the edge of vegetation. I suspect Patel is his choice, but the rapid fire nature of these picks tells me others are very hard at work shoving names in front of the drooling maniac.
Trump sadly has a lot more orange fumes to run on.
Orange fumes. Classic. And it's not even Xeets and Giggles Day
I would suggest that the last-straw for Biden was the prospect of Kash Patel exacting revenge on the Biden family by way of Hunter. He could see the future and knew something had to be done. It doesn't look good when you look at precedent. But we are less that two months away from all the rules changing. No ethics precedents will be guiding these departments. None. So there is no way to trust the process. And that, to me, is why Biden acted on this now.
We should be talking about the real dangers and this piece is excellent. All the precedent stuff is noise when we are looking at the prospect of an FBI and DOJ and CIA and DOD that resemble the era of the 60s. JFK. RFK. MLK — would like a word.
Thank you for this.
I had to share this one. Patel is dangerous and should not be confirmed. I will continue to write and call my reps and demand that they fulfill their oaths to the constitution and to WE THE PEOPLE and not confirm these horrible underqualifed candidates.....
My faith in Senate Republicans acting responsibly was somewhat restored by their collective distaste in approving Matt Gaetz as Trump's Attorney General. I am hopeful Kash Patel will receive the same level of scrutiny!
And Gabbard, Kennedy, Hegseth and all of tRumps unqualified cabinet picks.
Kinda like his Dr. Oz choice🤦♀️
They are ALL unqualified.
Why? He isn't qualified to run that department. The man is a charlatan.
As a big fan of “Dumb and Dumber,” I resent the comparison to Patel and any other Trump worshipper. Other than that, thank you Jay for that extremely informative exposé.
All if it is scary, and all we are hearing about now is Hunter's pardon. No F's given about the corruption of those Tritler pardoned.
But thanks to all of your hard work keeping us informed I can at least have ammo and speak intelligently about what is coming at us- or at least what is proposed. And thank goodness for those journalists who keep digging and finding dirt, the more that comes out the better we are. Being a frump nominee I'm sure there is much more dirt on Patel than meets the eye- I mean other than being a extreme windbag.
At least Rachel Maddow is not. Last night she gave us the history lesson from her podcast Ultra Season 2. Republicans in McCarthy era provided the push that resulted in suicide of a Senator over the actions of his son.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_C._Hunt
"Patel is the most dangerous nominee we’ve seen, ..... "
This kind of superlative doesn't work anymore. Is a QAnon-sympathizer-conspiracy-theorist-sycophant nominee to head the FBI worse than a drunk-predator-Christian-Nationalist who couldn't organize his way out of a wet paper bag nominee for Secretary of Defense, or worse than a man who has no military or naval experience nominated to be Secretary of the Navy, all overseen by a power-mad billionaire determined to destroy everything around him? Which one is the worst?
I get that. But it’s not about comparing which of them has the worst traits. It’s about assessing the level of damage they can actually do to our democracy. As FBI Director, Patel would have much more freedom to do some really terrible things.
More dangerous than Gabbard, Hegseth, and RFK?! They’re all nightmarishly incompetent and compromised.
Oh, yes. He could come for thee and me personally, each and all. Warrants, indictments, trials, punishment. Those others are dangerous, but not on an individual basis. HE would be the Gestapo. Or KGB.
Jay, lots of talk about Biden issuing blanket pardons to those on Patel/trump’s “hit list”. Can this be done even though they haven’t committed a not committed a crime?
As I've said, I'd like to see a blanket (thought limited) pardon for anyone who said anything about the "Russia investigation" or the "stolen election" claim. Not sure if that broad a pardon is possible, but if trump objects on broadness and wants to pardon the J6 folks he would have to do it one by one. Not sure he has the attention span to get all of them onto a piece of paper.
The "limited" would be "from any prosecution involving what was said." Don't want to pardon some Fox reporter for a sexual assault just because he mentioned Russia at some point.
I'm not sure that's true (that must be done one by one). I just read that President Carter issued a blanket pardon for Vietnam war resisters.
https://www.history.com/news/carter-draft-dodger-pardon-half-returned
HE would not have to do it one-by-one. He's got people for that. Get the paperwork together, he signs each one, badda-boom, badda-bing done. Probably just do it by autopen.
Maybe the pen machine. Don’t think he has the stamina to hold a pen long enough to pardon all of them. Maybe he can waive his magic wand, the one he uses for declassification.
Yep - I believe that's it. He will have a stack of papers in front of him, signing industriously away while the cameras roll. The second the cameras are out, he'll get up and head for the golf course; an aide will fire up the autopen, and *boom* the insurrectionists are pardoned.
So Biden CAN issue blanket pardons to those on Patel/trump list? If he does, is this setting up a bad precedent for trump and future presidents? Or would that be something that the Supreme Court would have to rule on?
Blanket pardons even though they have committed no crimes?
What the pardon power actually covers is "offenses against the United States." Heaven knows what offenses Ka$h can come up with. I have no idea whether there are limits to the pardon power. Not many, it is clear. It would probably be an issue for the Extremes. At the LEAST in would slow down the intimidation part of the Patel scheme (as opposed to actual possible prosecutions).
Patel hasn't considered that a lot of journalists speaking on the "Russia Hoax" did so primarily in 2017. If he wants to use the Espionage Act he's looking at a 10 year statute of limitations and will have to smother the ground with actions pretty quickly. Finding grand juries who will vote to indict could take a while.
Concern about setting a bad precedent for trump is irrelevant - Precedent isn't law. He'll ignore precedent whenever and wherever he can do so.
Yes.
Indeed, the competition among appointees for who is the most dangerous, idiotic, clueless, corrupt, vengeful, criminal and downright disgusting - is fierce. And the ones who check the most boxes may actually get the nod. Goddess help us!
Pretty evenly matched if you ask me
“Oohhhh Teacher, I know! I know! Call on me!! The “worst” is a 3-way tie with 47, Muskrat, and the SUpremes. Right?”
I'd love to contact my GOP senator about this, but it's none other than Shadee Vance, so I'm not likely to convince him.
My two Senators are Ted Cruz and John Cornyn....so I know how you feel. I'm letting them know my opinion several times per week.
Cornyn could still be persuaded, but at the very least he should hear from people.
I've already heard back. He says that a president can pick whoever he wants and that the Senate shpuld confirm them. I was beyond pissed......
Scott Dworkin (Substacker) has a nice infrastructure for letter-writing to reps/senators regarding all these hellacious picks.
I am one of the unfortunate persons who knew about Patel. I will call my senators and representative about him although my guess is that they already know.
This, from Scott Dworkin, was posted several days ago on another substack. I'm sure more can be added to this list.
Opposing recess appointments: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-dont-allow-trumps-recess-appointments/
Opposing Bondi: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-trumps-selection-of-pam-bondi-for-attorney-general/
Opposing Kennedy: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-kennedy-for-health-and-human-services-secretary/
Opposing Gabbard: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-tulsi-gabbard-for-director-of-national-intelligence/
Opposing Hegseth: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-trumps-selection-of-pete-hegseth-for-secretary-of-defense/
Opposing Oz: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-trumps-selection-of-dr-oz-to-run-medicare-and-medicaid/
Yeah. Mine are both crazy MAGA Republicans (NC).
Tillis is persuadable.
Do you think Blackburn and Hagerty of TN could be persuaded?
Please, contact Vance anyway. Your message becomes part of the public record! This not the time for silence. This is a time to protest.
Who is replacing him? They will be in session prior to Jan 20 correct?
Patel may be the most domestic threat, but Tulsi Gabbard is the corresponding foreign threat.
Hegseth scares me the most though.
Oppose Patel here: The Dworkin Report Watchdog Coalition.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senators-oppose-trumps-dangerous-pick-of-kash-patel-for-fbi-director/
Scott Dworkin has links to oppose others as well.
I was a bit close to a teenager when J Edger Hover Passed now, I understand when I asked my Grandmother what was the "Underworld" She freaked out. When I voted for Gus Hall and Angla Davies my mother threw a fit ( that was the early 70's) a lot of that did not make sense at the time but heard stories that no President ever though of firing ole Edger. Some claim Ole J edger hover had a file on them!! Will I resist. You bet , Like John Lewis I will do good trouble!
Boy, those are names I haven't heard in a while. Good for you!!
Thank you for such a concise and accessible perspective.
I am contacting Colorado Senator Michael Bennet about his condemnation of Hunter Biden's pardon. Bennet is a Democrat! I'm not sure if he has a personal grudge against President Joe Biden or he's trying to curry favor with the orange blight's administration. Either way, I view Senator Michael Bennet a trader too.
I saw that Colorado's governor also condemned the pardon. Wtf Colorado?
Arguments against Patel at the FBI could fill several volumes of the old Encyclopedia Britannica, yet Senate GOPers are persisting in the "Three Monkeys" rôle, of "hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil", despite being force-fed the man's staggering improprieties of speech and action.
Perhaps people were right about the Gaetz nomination/withdrawal and what followed: "A president has a right to choose his Cabinet" sort of thing, and no more obstruction or gainsaying of tRump's Klown-Kar occupants after the Gaetz defenestration
According to them, a president has a right to have his cabinet picks unless it's a Democratic president.
The President has the right to pick anyone he wants to a Cabinet position. And the (expletive) Senate has a right AND OBLIGATION to look into that pick and say yea or nay. It’s called Separation of Powers — I read about it somewhere…
(Debbie, sorry for the rant; I know you already know this. I’m just topped out and overflowing with a bad case of rage right now. Time to play word games until I’m called down. Say in, 2028? Maybe?)
Hmmm.... maybe the FBI should go old school, like John Edgar Hoover old school and start blackmailing Republicans so they won't appoint Patel or anyone else who won't leave the FBI intact. Oh, yeah... I forgot. Blackmail won't work. So many of their secrets are already out there and no one cares.
I suspect they’re about to learn what it’s like to be controlled by fear.
Oooh, I like this!
“top aide to Devin Nunes” was all I needed to hear about his resume.
When the Muslim deportation rolls out, will Patel get an exemption?
According to Wikipedia, his family is/was Hindu.