FBI Director Christopher Wray announced Wednesday he was stepping down as head of the bureau, just days after Republicans expressed a loss of confidence in him.
Wray, 57, told FBI employees in an afternoon town hall that “after weeks of careful thought,” he had decided to resign in January at the end of the current administration, caving to pressure from GOP senators and President-elect Donald Trump.
“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission — the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people every day,” he said.
“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. 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,” he added.
“What absolutely cannot, must not change is our commitment to doing the right thing, the right way, every time,” Wray also said.
“Our adherence to our core values, our dedication to independence and objectivity, and our defense of the rule of law — those fundamental aspects of who we are must never change.”
Wray is seven years into a 10-year term and had been tapped by Trump in 2017 after the Republican had ousted his predecessor, James Comey, similarly cutting short his tenure.
Wray had served as a lawyer for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the Bridgegate controversy, which is why the former Trump ally, turned foe, recommended him for the role.
Livid over the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago in search of classified documents and other grievances, Trump had made clear either Wray needed to step aside or that he would fire him.
Wray had been privately telling his close confidants for days that he intended to step aside.
During his town hall, the FBI honcho did not appear to reference Kash Patel, the successor whom Trump, 78, has tapped to lead the bureau.
“I look forward to a very smooth transition at the FBI and I’ll be ready to go on day one,” Patel told reporters on Capitol Hill in reaction to Wray’s announcement.
Trump was far less diplomatic in his reaction.
“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,” Trump cheered on his Truth Social platform.
“I just don’t know what happened to him.”
Trump added, “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.”
Technically, the FBI does not indict individuals but instead conducts investigations for prosecutors in the Justice Department and elsewhere to pursue.
Additionally, Congress is the one that impeached Trump on two occasions, though he was acquitted in both cases.
The FBI does not have the power to impeach a US president.
The president-elect further heralded Patel as “the most qualified Nominee to lead the FBI in the Agency’s History” and praised him for being “committed to helping ensure that Law, Order, and Justice will be brought back to our Country again, and soon.”
US Attorney General Merrick Garland, previously a Supreme Court justice contender whose Justice Department technically oversees the FBI, lauded Wray’s stewardship over the bureau.
“Chris Wray has served our country honorably and with integrity for decades, including for seven years as the Director of the FBI under presidents of both parties,” Garland said in a statement.
Trump has already named Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to replace Garland atop the DOJ. Both Bondi and Patel have been making the rounds with senators this month in a bid to lock down support in the forthcoming confirmation process.
Prior to Wray’s announcement, multiple Republican lawmakers such as Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) publicly called upon Wray to be replaced. Several, such as Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), refrained from going that far.
“Wray’s departure is an opportunity for a new era of transparency and accountability at the FBI. Future FBI Directors ought to learn a lesson from Wray’s mistakes. Stonewalling Congress, breaking promises, applying double standards and turning your back on whistleblowers is no longer going to cut it,” Grassley said in response to Wray’s announcement.
Still, among a host of Republicans in Congress, there is a sense that the FBI had grown politicized over recent years under Wray’s watch, despite the director being a registered Republican.
Several Democrats voiced dismay at Wray’s announcement and have already hinted at apprehension about Patel’s forthcoming nomination.
“As the FBI’s leader, Chris Wray has always prioritized the mission of the FBI over politics. Throughout his tenure as Director, he has worked to ensure that the Bureau remains independent and focused on its essential responsibilities to protect the American people and uphold the rule of law,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) said in a statement.
“While I’m disappointed that he will be stepping down before completing his 10-year term, I understand that Director Wray is simply trying to do what he has always done – which is act with integrity – and I thank him.”
