William H. Webster is the essence of gravitas. At age one hundred, he is the only person to have served both as Director of the CIA (appointed by Reagan and GHW Bush) and the FBI (appointed by Reagan and Carter). Earlier on, President Nixon appointed him as a US District Court Judge and then as a US Circuit Court Judge. In his most recent stint, Webster was for 15 years the Chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (under GW Bush, Obama and Trump).
Now, after serving under seven Presidents, five of them Republican, from Nixon to Trump, William Webster has sent a sober letter to United States Senators. Webster’s letter is a serious professional’s warning against Senate confirmation of two Trump nominees: Cash Patel as Director of the FBI and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Confirming them, Webster, shows, jeopardizes impartial enforcement of the law and the nation’s security.
Webster writes to Senators of Cash Patel: “While Mr. Patel’s intelligence and patriotism are commendable, his close political alignment with President Trump raises serious concerns about impartiality and integrity. Statements such as ‘He’s my intel guy’ and his record of executing the president’s directives suggest a loyalty to individuals rather than the rule of law—a dangerous precedent for an agency tasked with impartial enforcement of justice.”
Tom Nichols of the New York Times similarly writes that foregoing the traditional independence of the FBI by putting in a sycophant as Director is an authoritarian’s move: “The early 20th-century Peruvian strongman Oscar R. Benavides once stated a simple principle that Trump now appears to be pursuing when he said: ‘For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.’”
Patel states he would fire enough FBI agents to rid the agency of the “deep state” to go after “government gangsters.” Also, the press. In an interview with Steve Bannon in December, Patel said he “will go out and find the conspirators not just in government but in the media.” Patel’s purpose is to purge the FBI of any agent he deems not MAGA loyal. Then go after the journalists who will not stop writing.
For Patel, Donald Trump is always the victim to be avenged. He told Bannon: “Yes, 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 coming after you.” After so much projecting, Patel went on: “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. We’ll figure it out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.” If Senators allow Patel to become Director of the FBI, revenge will be the watchword of the day at the Bureau, day after day.
As to Tulsi Gabbard, up for DNI, Webster writes the Senators: “Congresswoman Gabbard’s profound lack of intelligence experience and the daunting task of overseeing 18 disparate intelligence agencies further highlight the need for seasoned leadership.”
Webster describes the sensitive, difficult nature of the DNI position Gabbard seeks. “Effective management of our intelligence community requires unparalleled expertise to navigate the complexities of global threats and to maintain the trust of allied nations. Without that trust, our ability to safeguard sensitive secrets and collaborate internationally is severely limited. …This is no time in world history for a novice in the field to learn the role.”
It is Tulsi Gabbard who contends the invasion of Ukraine is the fault of the victim, not of Russia, the invader. It is Gabbard’s lack of experience and her willingness to accept and repeat Russian talking points that would be especially toxic for Ukraine. Our opportunity in Ukraine is historic. If Ukraine prevails, Ukraine will become the bulwark of NATO at Europe’s eastern flank. Gabbard is both unqualified and dangerous to US and geopolitical security.
With William H. Webster’s letter, a hundred US Senators have received the advice of a hundred-year-old professional (and registered Republican) with vast experience in law enforcement and national security. Webster’s service to seven Presidents displays the essential quality suddenly missing everywhere else: honor. Mississippi’s Republican Senators should heed his letter’s important advice.
Robert P. Wise is a Northsider.
