Kash Patel Embraces the Limelight, Unlike Recent F.B.I. Directors
Kash Patel flew to Miami on Air Force One last weekend to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship event, wearing his signature wraparound sunglasses — at least the second time he has gone to a mixed-martial arts fight as F.B.I.director.Days earlier, he showed up at two N.H.L.
games, grinning in photographs with the hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.At one, in Washington, Mr.
Patel, who has played the sport since he was a child, was spotted in the owner’s suite as he watched the Capitals player Alex Ovechkin tie Mr.Gretzky’s scoring record.And since taking over the agency, Mr.
Patel has been a noticeable presence at President Trump’s side, delivering a warm-up speech at the Justice Department before Mr.Trump himself spoke and hovering behind him during the U.F.C.
match in Miami.Mr.Patel, 44, seems to relish his new status as director, cutting a highly visible path while running the most important law enforcement agency in the nation.
His embrace of the spotlight appears to be a break from the recent past.Previous directors did the job with little fanfare, deflecting any attention that might detract from the work of the bureau.“As director, I had never sought publicity or the spotlight that sometimes corners public officials,” Louis Freeh, the bureau’s fifth director, wrote in his memoir.The last three directors have been a mix of personalities, all intent on operating at arm’s length from the president.
Robert S.Mueller III was known as serious and laconic.
His successor, James B.Comey, was considered a powerful orator who did not shrink from making headlines.
Christopher A.Wray, who stepped down before Mr.
Trump took office rather than get fired, fell somewhere in between Mr.Mueller, who did not speak enough, and Mr.
Comey, who spoke too much, former agents said.(They pointed to Mr.
Comey’s infamous news conference in July 2016 that upended the presidential election.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript...