After Indian-origin Kash Patel was confirmed to be the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), US President Donald Trump’s assistant and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino used a Bollywood meme to congratulate him.
Scavino shared a clip on X, that featured the hit song Malhari from Bajirao Mastani, originally performed by Ranveer Singh. However, the video was edited to superimpose Patel’s face onto Singh’s face.
“Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, Kash Patel,” the tweet read. The 47-second clip received 3.2 million views and over 99,000 likes.
Congratulations to the new Director of the FBI, @Kash_Patel! pic.twitter.com/JsANV0s9cP
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) February 20, 2025
On Thursday, the Republic-led Senate confirmed Patel with a 51-49 vote, despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries.
ALOS READ: Three Buses Explode In Tel Aviv In Suspected Terror Attack, No Casualties Reported
Two moderate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also joined all Democrats in opposing Patel, but it was not enough to overcome broad Republican support. Collins and Murkowski opposed Patel’s nomination, citing concerns over his past political advocacy for Trump and its possible impact on the FBI’s law enforcement operations.
Elon Musk, head of Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), also congratulated the new FBI chief on X.
Patel assumes leadership as Trump-backed officials push to reshape the FBI and its parent agency, the Justice Department, challenging long-standing traditions of independence and aligning its mission with Trump’s key priorities.
According to Reuters, at least 75 career Justice Department lawyers and FBI officials, who normally keep their roles from administration to administration, have either resigned, been fired or stripped of their posts in the first month of the Trump administration.
During his campaign, Trump and his allies aimed to install loyalists in the department and diminish the autonomy of the career workforce, which they have long regarded with suspicion.
