FBI Director Kash Patel sat for an exclusive interview with Armstrong Williams to highlight recent FBI operations, the recent indictment of a former FBI director and how the administration is dealing with a rise in political extremism.
Highlights from an interview with Patel include:
JAMES COMEY INDICTMENT
Patel defended the Justice Department’s handling of the case, arguing the administration has been as transparent as possible since coming into office and let the facts dictate Comey’s indictment.
INVESTIGATING JANUARY 6
Patel responded to a report that nearly 300 plainclothes FBI agents were at the Capitol on the day of the riot, which Trump had seized on recently as evidence former FBI director Christopher Wray had lied about agents being present and what their roles were that day.
VIOLENT EXTREMISM
The FBI is trying to combat a recent uptick in political violence and concerns about growing levels of extremism being propagated online and resulting in real-world threats and attacks. The assassination of Charlie Kirk has shifted those concerns into overdrive, with the administration vowing to crack down on what it says is out-of-control extremism on the left.
CRACKDOWN ON ANTIFA
Trump signed an executive order last week labeling Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, which he argues are part of a complex network creating chaos and fomenting political violence. Federal authorities have previously labeled the group as an ideology without an organized movement or clear leader.
