5 things to know about Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead FBI
1. Son of Indian immigrants, raised Hindu
Patel elaborated on his upbringing and background in his 2023 book,Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy. He identified himself as the son of “working-class immigrants from India” who was raised in Queens and Long Island, New York, crediting his parents with encouraging him to remain “mindful” of his religion and heritage.
“I was raised Hindu, my family went to temple and prayed at home in our shrine room, making sure to celebrate big holidays like Diwali and Navratri,” he wrote. “I remember going to Indian weddings as a kid that were unlike any other party I had been to before—or since. Five hundred people celebrating for a full week was considered a small affair.”
Although he maintained that his parents did not explicitly discuss “philosophy or first principles” that much, Patel detailed how his “whole childhood was infused with a sort of dispositional conservatism.” He specifically noted how “my family is proud to be American, we value hard work, we cherish fairness, we believe in personal responsibility, and we don't think anyone has a right to special favors or special treatment.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com