Trump Should Submit His Nominees to FBI Background Checks

To do otherwise would be self-sabotage.

On Saturday night, President-elect Trump announced that he is nominating Kash Patel — a former Trump administration official, top congressional staffer, and Justice Department national security lawyer — to lead the FBI. That is, the bureau’s current director, Christopher Wray, is to be fired before his presumptive ten-year term expires.

By the time this news broke, I had already put to bed for publication on Monday a fairly long essay on why the president-elect, for the good of himself and his agenda, should relent on his refusal to submit to FBI background investigations his transition officials and nominees for high-ranking posts.