Kash Patel is a trusted aide to Donald Trump and a swaggering campaign surrogate who mythologizes the former president while promoting conspiracy theories and his own brand. Patel is poised to take on an influential role in the federal government if Trump wins a second term. He frequently cites his experience as a public defender and federal prosecutor to lend credibility to his plan to go after the very intelligence community he could one day help oversee. Many who previously worked with Patel said he was an ambitious if not exceptional lawyer whose quick rise and far-right tilt have left them stunned.
