Once considered the gold standard of global law enforcement, the FBI lost its way under the Biden administration. But President Trump’s return — and his appointment of Director Kash Patel — is triggering a dramatic transformation aimed at restoring the bureau’s credibility, integrity, and mission focus.

According to former acting section chief Stewart Whitson, who served at FBI headquarters, the agency had become dangerously politicized in recent years. Rather than focusing on terrorism or transnational crime, top brass redirected resources toward political opponents — investigating parents at school board meetings, harassing Catholics, and raiding Mar-a-Lago under Merrick Garland’s DOJ.

Under the Trump-Patel leadership team, that era is over.

Draining the Bureaucratic Swamp

Patel has wasted no time cutting waste, eliminating bad actors, and streamlining the agency’s bloated operations. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is conducting a full-scale audit of the FBI’s contracts, confidential informant payouts, and bloated travel budgets. Patel is also expected to oust any career bureaucrats who try to sabotage the Trump agenda from within.

Whitson calls this a much-needed housecleaning.

“There is no reason for the FBI to function like an intelligence agency or mimic the CIA,” he says. “Its mission is law enforcement — and that’s exactly where the focus is going.”

FBI HQ Out of Washington?

One of the boldest reform proposals includes relocating FBI headquarters out of the D.C. swamp. About a third of the bureau’s staff are based in the capital, despite the fact that the biggest threats to the country are dispersed nationwide.

Options floated for the move include Quantico, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; or one of the FBI’s many regional field offices.

The logic is simple: decentralize power, cut costs, and remove agents from the political toxicity of the Beltway.

A Merit-Based Revival

Perhaps most controversially, Trump and Patel are dismantling the FBI’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives, which were shuttered after Trump’s election. The new directive: hire the best and brightest, regardless of skin color, gender, or political affiliation.

That shift has already had an impact.

The FBI is reportedly seeing a surge in agent applications, and early results speak volumes. In the first 100 days alone, the bureau has captured three of the FBI’s top 10 most wanted criminals — compared to zero last year under Biden. They’ve also apprehended a key terrorist behind the deadly 2021 attack on U.S. troops during the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Whitson says this success shows a clear return to basics: law enforcement without politics.

Looking Ahead

Despite the progress, real reform will require Congress to step up. Whitson argues lawmakers must pass stronger penalties for FBI employees who abuse their power and implement robust oversight measures to prevent future political weaponization.

“The FBI is one of the most powerful institutions in America,” he writes. “With strong leadership and sound policy, it can rebuild trust — and become better than ever.”

For conservatives who’ve long distrusted the FBI, the changes under Trump and Patel are nothing short of revolutionary. And while the road to reform is long, it’s clear the bureau’s course is finally shifting back toward accountability, effectiveness, and justice for all Americans — not just those with the right politics.