FBI Director Christopher Wray announced on Wednesday that he would resign his position at the end of Joe Biden's term in office.
"After weeks of careful thought, I've decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down," he said in a town hall with FBI employees. "My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you're doing on behalf of the American people every day. In my view, 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."
"It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway — this is not easy for me," Wray added. "I love this place, I love our mission, and I love our people — but my focus is, and always has been, on us and doing what's right for the FBI."
Trump had announced that Kash Patel would replace Wray, pending Senate confirmation. Wray took over the job of FBI director after Trump fired James Comey and was overwhelmingly confirmed by the Senate in 2017.
Rather than stay and fight with Trump, Wray decided to cut and run before he could be fired.
On Tuesday, incoming Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blasted Wray in a scathing letter and urged him to get out of Dodge.
“For the good of the country, it’s time for you and your deputy to move on to the next chapter in your lives,” Grassley wrote, “I therefore must express my vote of no confidence in your continued leadership of the FBI. President-elect Trump has already announced his intention to nominate a candidate to replace you, and the Senate will carefully consider that choice. For my part, I’ve also seen enough, and hope your respective successors will learn from these failures."
Among other things, Grassley cited the FBI's "unprecedented raid" of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022, when the FBI sent dozens of armed agents who were authorized to "use lethal force if needed" to execute the search warrant. He noted that the agents "even searched the former First Lady’s clothing drawers."
Update 10:32 p.m.: Trump issued a statement about Wray's resignation on Truth Social:
"The resignation of Christopher Wray is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice," he said. "I just don’t know what happened to him. We will now restore the Rule of Law for all Americans. Under the leadership of Christopher Wray, the FBI illegally raided my home, without cause, worked diligently on illegally impeaching and indicting me, and has done everything else to interfere with the success and future of America."
"They have used their vast powers to threaten and destroy many innocent Americans, some of which will never be able to recover from what has been done to them," he added. "Kash Patel is the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History, and is committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again, and soon. As everyone knows, I have great respect for the rank-and-file of the FBI, and they have great respect for me. They want to see these changes every bit as much as I do but, more importantly, the American People are demanding a strong, but fair, System of Justice. We want our FBI back, and that will now happen. I look forward to Kash Patel’s confirmation, so that the process of Making the FBI Great Again can begin. Thank you!"
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