Former FBI and CIA head William Webster urged the Senate to reject Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, President-elect Donald Trump’s picks to be directors of the FBI and national intelligence, claiming they weren’t qualified to serve in his Cabinet.
Webster, who is 100 years old, was appointed FBI director in 1978 by President Jimmy Carter until President Ronald Reagan tapped him to be head of the CIA in 1987.
In a letter to senators on Thursday, Webster explained that he was “deeply concerned” about both picks.
Webster claimed Patel was a problematic nominee in particular because his loyalty to Trump would come at the expense of executing the rule of law.
“While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity. Statements such as ‘He’s my intel guy’ and his record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law—a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” Webster wrote.
“His record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law — a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice,” he added.
Patel has been an outspoken critic of the FBI’s investigation into Trump and said he would purge the “deep state” elements within the bureau.
Webster also criticized Gabbard’s “profound lack of intelligence experience” and said she was ill-equipped to execute the “daunting task” of overseeing the 18 intelligence agencies.
“Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations,” he wrote. “Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely diminished.”
“I urge you to weigh the critical importance of nonpartisan leadership and experience,” Webster wrote. “The safety of the American people — and your own families — depends on it.”
The Trump transition team responded with scathing statement noting that Webster had previously endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
“It shouldn’t be news that someone who has endorsed Joe Biden, who has been wrong on every single foreign policy disaster over the last four years, and Kamala Harris opposes President Trump’s nominees. Lt. Col. Gabbard is an active member of the Army and has served in the military for over two decades and in Congress, as someone who has consumed intelligence at the highest levels, including during wartime, she recognizes the importance of partnerships with allies to ensure close coordination to keep the American people safe,” Alexa Henning, a Trump transition spokesperson, said in the statement.
Alex Pfeiffer, another Trump transition spokesperson, defended Patel as “loyal to the Constitution” and noted he’s “worked under Presidents Obama and Trump in key national security roles.”
Webster represents the same establishment old guard that’s hellbent on preventing Trump from overhauling the politicized intelligence agencies which facilitated the Russia collusion hoax and recent lawfare campaigns against the former president, one of which involved the FBI raiding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in August 2022.