Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray has announced his decision to resign before President-elect Donald Trump, who has suggested plans to dismiss him, assumes office next month.
Speaking at an internal FBI meeting on Wednesday, Wray said he decided after weeks of deliberation.
Trump has already nominated Kash Patel, a vocal advocate for significantly curbing the FBI’s authority, to lead the agency.
Wray, appointed by Trump in 2017 for a 10-year term, has faced criticism from Republicans over the FBI’s investigations involving the former president after he departs from office.
At the FBI meeting on Wednesday, Wray said: “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.”
“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 important to how we do our work,” Wray added.
An unnamed official told the Associated Press that Wray received a standing ovation following his remarks, with some audience members moved to tears.
Trump had appointed Wray to lead the FBI after dismissing his predecessor, James Comey, amid the bureau’s investigation into alleged links between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.
At the time of his appointment, Trump praised Wray, a Yale Law School graduate, as a man with “impeccable credentials.”
However, Wray fell out of favor with the president-elect in recent years after the FBI participated in a federal investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents—a case that has since been dropped.
Trump described Wray’s resignation as “a great day for America.”
“It will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” he said on Truth Social. “We will now restore the rule of law for all Americans.”
Following his election to a second term, Trump said his pick for FBI director would be Patel – a former aide who has been a steadfast supporter of the incoming Republican president.
On Wednesday, Patel said he was “looking forward to a smooth transition and I’ll be ready to go on day one”.
“Senators have been wonderful and I look forward to earning their trust and confidence through the advice and consent process, and restoring law and order and integrity to the FBI,” he said.
Patel requires approval by the Senate before he can be appointed. In the meantime, FBI deputy director Paul Abbate, a veteran FBI agent, will run the bureau after Wray’s departure, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.
Patel has been a fierce critic of the FBI. In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel called for an eradication of “government tyranny” within the FBI by firing “the top ranks”.
Patel’s critics have expressed doubts that he is qualified to lead one of the world’s top law enforcement agencies.
However, some Republican lawmakers have welcomed his nomination.
“Reform is badly needed at FBI,” Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote on X following news of Wray’s resignation, adding that the American people deserve transparency and accountability.
Wray has strongly denied he allowed a Democratic partisan agenda to run amok as FBI director, telling lawmakers a year ago at a House of Representatives hearing that he had been a lifelong Republican.
“The idea that I am biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my background,” he said.
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat, responded to Wray’s resignation by expressing gratitude for his service and warning that the FBI now faces “a perilous new era with significant questions about its future.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland also commended Wray, stating he had “honorably and with integrity served our country for decades, including seven years as FBI Director under presidents from both parties.”
The FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) praised Wray for his leadership, noting he had guided the bureau “through challenging times with a steadfast commitment to ensuring the safety of our nation.”
FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms to provide continuity and reduce the risk of political influence amid White House transitions.
Wray’s term was originally set to end in 2027. Without Wray’s resignation, Trump would not have been able to appoint his nominee, Kash Patel, unless Wray was removed.