US President-elect Donald Trump has called the resignation announcement of FBI Director Christopher Wray "a great day for America."
Wray, in a memo to FBI staff on Wednesday, announced his intentions to step down at the end of President Joe Biden's administration, making him eligible to leave without disrupting President-elect Trump's ability to install his nominee, Kashyap "Kash" Patel, if confirmed by the US Senate.
Through a post on his social platform Truth Social, Trump reflected thus: "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 powers when in office, saying "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 added he had evidence that Wray, with his powers, "used it to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans" and he's "thrilled" about the choice of Kash Patel, "the most qualified nominee to lead the FBI in the history of the agency."
"The leadership of Kash Patel is going to help us bring back law, order, and justice," Trump said, "We want our FBI back, and that will now happen.
In fact, Wray was two-thirds of the way through his 10-year term when his position became untenable after Trump announced Patel as his nominee and signalled dissatisfaction with his leadership.
Speaking to the FBI employees, Wray said, "I have decided that 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 highlighted that his decision was done to avoid dragging the bureau "deeper into the fray" and upholding its values and principles.
Trump had never formally asked Wray to resign; however, he did indicate his displeasure in his latest 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.”
But the relationship soured over time, especially after the FBI searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence over classified documents and started probing into Trump's attempts to subvert the results of the 2020 election.
Under Wray, the FBI probed President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, on alleged gun law violations and tax evasion.
Trump's nomination of Patel is yet another reshaping of the FBI leadership, with a motive of consolidating his influence on the agency.
If confirmed, Patel will take charge of an agency at the center of controversies during Trump's first term, from the investigation into Russian interference in elections to Trump's classified document scandal.
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