Staff Reports
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan took to CNN’s “State of the Union” to inform viewers about the virtues of the Biden administration’s grasp on the FBI. His appearance wasn’t just a stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about the good old days under his boss; it was also a shameless defense of a regime that is seemingly running scared from the prospect of Trumpian appointments. Sullivan’s main message had all the flair of an infomercial: the FBI’s autonomy is at stake, so let’s ignore the elephant in the room—the increasingly political nature of the Bureau itself.
Sullivan’s comments on Chris Wray, the current FBI director who was appointed by none other than President Trump, are revealing. He praises Wray’s performance while casting a shadow over the very nature of political appointments. In a brilliant stretch, Sullivan explains that FBI directors should be “insulated from politics,” right as the current administration is navigating scandals and the deep state mud that’s been flying around since Trump took office. It’s clear this administration might be wishing for that insulation itself if the political winds shift again.
Jake Sullivan: FBI should remain ‘an independent institution insulated from politics’ pic.twitter.com/SeWkmaeFQ1
— Publius (@OcrazioCornPop) December 1, 2024
Of course, Sullivan couldn’t resist a quick jab at Donald Trump’s newly picked FBI head honcho, Kash Patel. Patel’s pledge to dismantle what many conservatives view as a “deep state” represents a direct challenge to the status quo. Sullivan’s feigned indifference to Patel’s claim really makes one wonder if he’s just trying to ignore the mounting evidence of a political underbelly within the FBI that his colleagues seem comfortably wrapped in.
Sullivan also managed to maintain that Biden has been a paragon of clam and collectedness in handling the FBI director position, calling it a “longstanding bipartisan tradition.” Did he forget that this tradition has often seen the FBI intertwined with political maneuvering? When you peel back the layers, it’s easy to see that Sullivan’s pitch is one for the ages—trying to present a Democrat as the stalwart of tradition while ignoring the very real risks of politicization that loom over the Bureau.
As Patel prepares to possibly step in, Sullivan appears to be checking his watch, counting down the days until he can hand off his responsibilities. He insists he’s focused—focused on creating a “smooth handoff” rather than on the mounting concern of an FBI that has sidelined its original mission. With Patel calling out the deep state, he has the audacity to challenge the status quo that Sullivan represents, and it’s hard to see how that’s anything but a win for those who are fed up with Washington’s games. Quite the comedy show, isn’t it? The Democrats on one side, fingers crossed and hoping to keep the FBI’s reins, while a Trump loyalist readies to burst onto the scene.
