It’s hard to find much positive to say about Donald Trump’s courses of action, like his intent to replace the F.B.I. director, Chris Wray, with Kash Patel. Patel, a rough henchman, has spent years harboring vengeful thoughts against Trump’s perceived adversaries. Surprisingly, Patel has handed us a useful tool: a recommendation of individuals President Biden should pardon before his tenure ends, if we were to believe his narrative.
Patel’s 2023 book, ‘Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy,’ claims to expose a covert group of government employees opposing Trump, depicting them as the largest menace to our democracy. According to Patel, this ‘deep state’ is as vicious and wicked as the villainous characters we see in literature and cinema.
Patel puts forward the theory that almost every investigation into Trump and his accomplices is a part of a horrifying conspiracy against the ‘people’s president.’ His book implies that the non-occurring ‘insurrection’ on Jan. 6 was instigated by ‘deep state’ provocateurs, which was then used as an excuse to unjustly target loyal Trump supporters.
So, who are these government gangsters according to Patel? He identifies 60 of them in an alphabetized appendix. But he admits this isn’t an exhaustive list, as he only focuses on the executive branch, excluding ‘other corrupt actors of the first order.’ These ‘first-order’ wrongdoers, in his view, include Senator-elect Adam Schiff and former Republican House speaker Paul Ryan, as well as the ‘entire fake news mafia press corps.’
His ‘deep state’ list incorporates several of his administrative adversaries from Trump’s first period in office, such as Bill Barr, who, as the attorney general, vociferously stated that Trump could appoint Patel as the deputy F.B.I. director only ‘over my dead body.’ Wray, the man Patel hoped to replace, is also notably included in the list.
Patel’s list features both the current defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, and Trump’s defense secretary, Mark Esper. It’s amusing to see Cassidy Hutchinson’s name, the courageous former aide to Mark Meadows who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, also included. Not to forget Alyssa Farah Griffin, a previous Trump team member who frequently critiques her former chief on ‘The View.’
Naturally, Patel doesn’t miss throwing in the names of Biden, Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clinton. Patel suggests that Biden should pardon everyone mentioned, barring himself, including all individuals involved in the Jan. 6 committee. But what’s the basis for these pardons, you may wonder.
Jonathan Martin reported on Wednesday that Biden’s aides are in the throes of a ‘vigorous internal debate’ about offering pre-emptive pardons to officials who might be unfairly targeted by Trump, according to Patel’s narrative. The downside to such an approach is that it could imply wrongdoing and provide fuel for Trump’s critiques.
Emphasizing the challenge Biden faces, he could find it hard to justify why he’s pardoning people who, in reality, have done nothing unlawful. Patel’s appendix, however, serves a purpose – making a case for pardons more palatable, even if his reasoning is questionable.
It’s clear that the breadth of names listed on Patel’s appendix spotlights his McCarthyist tendencies far better than any of his critics could do. The inference is that Patel’s ‘deep state’ list signifies more a personal agenda than a factual or reasonable assessment.
This shows an apparent bias in not only Patel’s narrative but also reflects on the skewed perception of the Trump administration. It’s clear that decisions were colored by personal grudges or perceived disloyalty, rather than the merit or effectiveness of the individuals in question.
Though the list makes for a good rhetoric, when scrutinized it seems like a fanciful embellishment to push a narrative. Ironically, through Patel’s book, the public gets a better insight into the mindset of those close to Trump’s administration, rather than an honest account of the ‘deep state.’
The concept of this ‘deep state’ was quite a controversial topic under Trump’s reign, but Patel’s list goes to show how dramatically one-sided the narrative has become. All it does is vilify Biden, Harris, and various other individuals based on Patel’s subjective interpretations.
Seemingly, Patel’s fanciful assertions and conspiratorial outlook are highly reflective of the distortions in America’s current political landscape. On the face of it, Patel’s book appears to be tailor-made to fit the narrative that those in opposition are enemies.
In conclusion, Kash Patel’s appendix serves its purpose – predominantly for fodder for those intent on politicizing and manipulating public opinion. Rather surprisingly, his narrative indirectly exposes the manipulative games and politics at play, more than uncovering any actual wrongdoing by Biden, Harris, or any of the people he names.