In a recent podcast hosted by Stephen K. Bannon, Kash Patel, a close associate of former US President Donald J. Trump, issued a warning to journalists, stating that legal action could be taken against them if Trump returns to power in 2024.
Patel, who previously served as Trump’s counterterrorism adviser on the National Security Council and chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense, emphasised the intention to pursue legal action, whether criminally or civilly.
“We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media,” Patel declared. “We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections—we’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out”, Kash said.
Patel, discussing the possibility of a second Trump presidency in 2025, highlighted the team’s intention to use the Constitution to address alleged crimes. “We’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have,” he added.
In response to these statements, Patel’s spokeswoman, Erica Knight, emphasised Patel’s commitment to following the facts and the law. Patel himself issued a statement, asserting that, if Trump assumes the presidency in 2025, they would prosecute anyone who broke the law, aiming to end what he termed the “weaponised, two-tier system of justice.”
Patel, once a relatively unknown Capitol Hill staffer, rose to become one of Trump’s most trusted aides and influential national security officials. Despite facing opposition to proposed appointments, Patel remained closely associated with Trump even after leaving the government. Previously, he has served as the Chief of Staff to Acting Secretary of Defence Christopher Miller and the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.
After leaving his government job, Patel smartly used his connection with Trump to start selling stuff online and write children’s books. Notably, he has filed defamation suits against media outlets and established a fundraising entity to “fight the deep state” and support lawsuits on behalf of individuals he claims have been “defamed” by the “fake news mafia.”
A native of New York, Patel began his career as a public defender, graduating from the University of Richmond before earning his law degree in New York.