In a recent episode of "The Victor Davis Hanson Show," Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson offered his insights on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's strategic relocation of its personnel.
Hanson speculated that the FBI might reposition its agents to areas where criminal activity is prevalent. This discussion follows an announcement by FBI Director Kash Patel, who revealed plans to move the agency's headquarters from Washington, D.C., along with its 1,500 employees.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Patel, who assumed the role of FBI Director in February, has been a vocal critic of the misuse of surveillance powers. He has advocated for a more transparent approach, including the establishment of a "24/7 declassification office."
Patel's vision includes dismantling the centralized D.C. headquarters to better position agents for effective crime-fighting. During the show, co-host Jack Fowler and Hanson considered Kansas City as a potential new location for the FBI's base of operations. Hanson remarked, "I dont know if theyre going to make the headquarters there or not. They were going to make it in Virginia, but I think theyre going to disperse FBI agents to where crimes are committed."
Hanson expressed skepticism about the concentration of FBI agents in Washington, D.C., a city he described as dangerous yet overstaffed with federal agents. He criticized the entrenched relationships between FBI personnel and media figures, bureaucrats, and politicians, particularly those aligned with leftist ideologies.
"Any Democrat-run city is all they do in Washington is they just intermarry with media people, with permanent bureaucrats, with politicians, and they finagle and intrigue and whatever the existing power is, usually on the left, and they make the necessary adjustments. Theyve done this country great harm. Theyre all sanctimonious," Hanson stated.
The conversation also touched on Hanson's views regarding former FBI officials, whom he accused of dishonesty during congressional testimonies. He specifically mentioned former FBI Director Robert Mueller and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe.
"When I see Andrew McCabe start pontificating on TV, I say You lied. You lied under oath. When I see James Comey pontificating, I think Wow, you lied to the President of the United States. You lied under oath to the House Intelligence Committee by claiming the amnesia. When I see Robert Mueller around, you rarely do, and I thought Wow, you must have lied. You knew what Fusion GPS was, or you had no business being the head general counsel,'" Hanson asserted.
Hanson further criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray for the agency's actions against abortion protesters and parents at school board meetings, questioning the motives behind the high-profile raid on Mar-a-Lago.
He contrasted this with President Joe Biden's handling of classified materials, suggesting a double standard in the application of justice. "He only came forward not because what you people said He had a sense of duty. He did it because hes appointed a special counsel to go after and torment Trump, and he was embarrassed people might find out that hed done the same thing," Hanson argued.
While Patel has indicated that the FBI, when fully staffed, comprises 38,000 agents, he noted that approximately 11,000 are currently stationed in the capital region. The precise details of the new headquarters' location and the distribution of agents remain undisclosed.
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