MAGA and establishment Republicans battle over post-Wray FBI director pick

22 November 2024

After defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the United States' 2024 election, President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray.

This wouldn't be the first time Trump fired an FBI director; he fired former FBI Director James Comey in 2017. And Wray has held that position under the first Trump Administration as well as under President Joe Biden.

The question is: If Wray is fired, who will Trump replace him with?

According to Semafor reporter Burgess Everett and Shelby Talcott, the battle is between Kash Patel — a far-right Trump loyalist who has "talked openly about revenge on the president-elect’s enemies" — and former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Michigan). Rogers ran for the U.S. Senate in Michigan in 2024, losing to Democratic nominee Elissa Slotkin.

Everett and Talcott, in an article published on November 18, note that Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) has endorsed Rogers, saying he "would be outstanding" as FBI director.

"The FBI director is a particularly sensitive position for Trump, who fired former Director James Comey and is expected to quickly try to replace Wray, Comey's successor, whose term does not expire until 2027," the Semafor reporters explain. "Trump’s frustration with Wray and the bureau for perceived politicization of its investigations has not abated following the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022, and the next FBI director's job will be extremely challenging given how closely Trump monitors the agency."

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is singing Rogers' praises, telling Semafor, "Mike Rogers is a terrific guy. I don't know Kash Patel. But, is Christopher Wray going to resign? That's a 10-year term, so it may be a little premature."

Everett and Talcott note that Patel's strongest support comes from ultra-MAGA Republicans.

"The MAGA wing of the party, like longtime Trump ally Roger Stone and his own son Donald Jr., are pushing for Patel," the Semafor reporters explain. "On the other side of the debate are more conventional Republicans, who are pushing for Rogers, two people close to the transition team said."

Read Semafor's full article at this link.

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