Two Trump transition insiders, Cliff Sims and Kash Patel, are angling to be deputy director of the CIA — and angering others who feel they're using their roles on the transition to undermine any would-be contenders, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The No. 2 position at the powerful spy agency is one of the most sought-after national security posts that remains unfilled. It does not require Senate confirmation — a concern for other roles, like FBI director, Patel is said to be interested in — but wields enormous influence inside the U.S. intelligence community.
The frustration toward Sims, the former White House and ODNI communications strategist, and Patel, the firebrand former House Intelligence Committee staffer and Pentagon official, stems from the fact that both are helping the transition interview candidates for the CIA role, said the three people, all of whom were granted anonymity to share details on the transition.
“The issue that a lot of us have is that these people are involved in staffing national security jobs, and at the same time they’re also promoting themselves for the same roles,” said one of the people.
There is also a concern that Patel in particular is fighting dirty. A second person said there was suspicion Patel was leaking damaging stories on Sims, citing a recent story on a blow-up Trump had after being reminded Sims wrote a tell-all memoir in 2019 after leaving the White House.
The three people cautioned that both men appear open to other roles and may even prefer them. On Monday, Axios reported that Patel was likely slated for a senior role at the Justice Department, but no announcement has come since then.
Asked about the interview process for the deputy director role and the frustration some felt toward Sims and Patel, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said “this story is 100% false.”
“The fake news is clearly trying to sow division between two of President Trump’s most loyal supporters. President Trump is choosing brilliant people to serve on his team, and those decisions will continue to be announced as he makes them,” she added.
Sims did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Patel declined to comment further.
