Washington, Dec 12 (IANS): US President-elect Donald Trump has called the resignation announcement of FBI Director Christopher Wray "a great day for America."
Wray, on Wednesday, informed FBI employees of his intention to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's tenure, paving the way for a smooth transition to Kashyap "Kash" Patel, should he be confirmed as Trump's nominee to head the agency.
Reacting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote, "The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponisation of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice." He added, "We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans."
Trump accused Wray of abusing his authority during his tenure, stating, "Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America."
The president-elect further alleged that Wray had used his powers to "threaten and destroy many innocent Americans" and praised his nominee Kash Patel as "the most qualified nominee to lead the FBI in the agency's history."
Trump expressed confidence that Patel's leadership would help restore "law, order, and justice" and said, "We want our FBI back, and that will now happen."
While Wray still had three years remaining in his 10-year term, his position became untenable after Trump announced Patel as his nominee and signalled dissatisfaction with his leadership.
Addressing FBI employees, Wray said, "I've decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down." He emphasised that his decision was aimed at avoiding dragging the bureau "deeper into the fray" and upholding its values and principles.
Trump, who had not formally asked Wray to resign, had expressed his displeasure in recent comments.
In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Trump slammed Wray, saying, "He invaded Mar-a-Lago. I'm very unhappy with the things he's done."
Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 to succeed James Comey, had initially been praised by Trump as "a model of integrity" and "impeccably qualified."
However, their relationship deteriorated over time, particularly after the FBI raided Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in connection with classified documents and launched investigations into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
The FBI also investigated President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, for alleged violations of gun laws and tax evasion under Wray's leadership.
Trump's decision to nominate Patel marks another significant reshaping of the FBI's leadership, a move aimed at consolidating his influence over the agency.
If confirmed, Patel would assume control of an organisation at the centre of controversies during Trump's first term, including the investigations into Russian election interference and Trump's classified document scandal.