FBI Director Christopher Wray announced his resignation Wednesday, Dec. 11. He said he would leave office before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
Trump nominated Kash Patel to lead the bureau, meaning Wray was left with two options: resign or be fired.
During a town hall with FBI employees, Wray said although leaving isn’t easy, it’s the right thing to do for the bureau and Americans.
“This is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” the FBI director said.
Wray served seven years of a 10-year term as FBI director.
Trump reacts to Wray’s resignation
“The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America,” Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social.
The president-elect said Wray’s exit will end the weaponization of the FBI.
Senate Republicans joined Trump in calling Wray’s departure good news. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, R, said he was glad Wray made the decision.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, R, said the FBI director’s resignation would make Patel’s confirmation more urgent. Hawley called on Wray to resign for over a year.
Washington reacts to Wray’s departure
Democrats expressed disappointment after Wray announced his resignation. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said political pressure influenced Wray’s decision to step down.
“It vastly heightens the hazards of weaponizing the FBI for political or personal ends — which should be an anathema to all my colleagues, regardless of party,” Blumenthal said.
The U.S. Justice Department released a statement on behalf of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland following Wray’s announcement, praising the FBI director’s efforts and his ability to keep America safe.
“He led the FBI’s efforts to aggressively confront the broad range of threats facing our country — from nation-state adversaries and foreign and domestic terrorism to violent crime, cybercrime, and financial crime.”
Statement by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland
Natalie Bara, president of the FBI Agents Association, thanked Wray for upholding the agency’s mission.
“This commitment is at the core of who we are as Special Agents, and it does not waver when there are changes in a presidential administration or when the leadership in the Bureau changes.”
Statement by FBI Agents Association President Natalie Bara
South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds, R, expressed support for Wray, saying he had no complaints about how he led the FBI. He said Trump picked a good man to lead the FBI during his first term.
Wray’s FBI appointment
Trump appointed Wray as the FBI’s director in 2017, and he received an overwhelming confirmation from U.S. lawmakers.
His appointment came on the heels of the former director’s investigation into Trump associates and their connection to Russia’s interference during the 2016 presidential election.
Distance grew between the president-elect and Wray when the FBI conducted searches of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida. The raid led to the recovery of classified documents and a federal indictment of several criminal charges against Trump.
Under Wray’s leadership, the FBI launched an investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in 2021. More than 1,500 people were accused of breaking the law that day.
In a recent sit-down interview with NBC News, Trump said he’s unhappy with Wray and crime levels in the United States. He vowed to fire the director once he took office in January 2025.
Wray’s leadership under question
Rumors of Wray’s tenure preceded Wednesday’s announcement as incoming Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, questioned his leadership.
The Iowa senator released a public letter that criticized how the FBI has handled things like congressional oversight cases, sexual harassment claims by female FBI employees and the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Bureau Deputy Director Paul Abbate could step in as FBI director in the meantime. Once Trump is sworn into office, a confirmation hearing can be held to appoint a permanent replacement for Wray.
Currently, there are no announcements about a temporary replacement.
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