Op-Ed: Tiffany Smiley: Kash Patel will be the most qualified FBI Director our country has ever had

President Donald Trump has the important task of reforming a corrupt, politicized FBI and Kash Patel is the best man to reform the agency.

It’s time for a change. Voters handed President Donald Trump a mandate election in November, and it’s clear that our government institutions need fresh blood and new leadership. Over the last four years, our government has become politicized and rife with corruption — none more so than the FBI.

We can’t afford business as usual in Washington, which is why President Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel and his promise to remove political agendas from the FBI is what the American people need. Patel will shake things up, restore faith in the FBI, and protect the American people.

Under Joe Biden, we watched the FBI become hopelessly politicized and consumed by witch hunts against concerned parents at school board meetings, practicing Catholics, and even President Trump. Don’t forget that last year, the FBI was authorized by the Department of Justice to use “deadly force” while raiding Mar-a-Lago to search the President’s residence.

The American people watched this abuse of power in horror, and as a result, public trust in the FBI is at its lowest point this century. America’s institutions are at a crossroads and the FBI has strayed from its core mission of protecting the people. President Trump has the important task of reforming a corrupt, politicized FBI and Kash Patel is the best man to reform the agency.

Since his nomination was announced, Patel has been relentlessly attacked by the left and the mainstream media. He has also been unfairly prosecuted and lied about. But the truth is, Patel is the most qualified FBI director our country has ever had. He’s worked in national security under both Democrats and Republicans, serving as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and director of counterterrorism on the National Security Council.

Furthermore, Patel’s experience as a federal prosecutor in the National Security Division of the DOJ, where he prosecuted criminals involved with terror groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, has given him insight into the threats our country is facing. It’s clear that he’s prioritized our national security since day one, and has the investigative expertise necessary to lead the FBI.

Patel even has first-hand experience uncovering abuse of power and corruption. Patel led the House Intelligence Committee’s investigations into the FBI’s witch hunt against the Trump campaign during President Trump’s first campaign. Under Patel, the weaponization of law enforcement that began under Joe Biden will end. Rather than play partisan games, Patel will build new national security measures from the ground up and dismantle deep-state bureaucracy.

The American people are firmly behind President Trump’s nominees, the transition process, and his promise to Make America Great Again. They have watched as the Biden Administration strategically embedded political operatives within the FBI like they were playing chess, and the outcome has left Americans questioning our nation’s justice system. Americans voted President Trump into office because of his unwavering dedication to strong national security. Now, more than ever, Americans deserve an honorable FBI — which is precisely what Kash Patel will deliver once confirmed.

Tiffany Smiley, former Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Washington, is a long-time veterans advocate and founder of Endeavor PAC, an organization that supports and elevates political outsiders who are tired of the status quo in Washington. She resides in Pasco, WA, with her husband and three sons.