The acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Paul Abbate, retired just minutes before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray had announced his resignation, which went into effect on Sunday before Trump took office. Abbate, who took over from Wray, stepped down from the bureau a day later.
Abbate's departure took effect at noon ET on Monday, coinciding with Trump's oath of office at the U.S. Capitol. The successor to Abbate as acting FBI director is yet to be announced.
In an internal email on Monday, Abbate expressed confidence in the FBI team to continue their mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. Abbate, who is 57 years old, had served as the deputy FBI director since 2021 and had his length of service extended.
Relations between Trump and Wray had soured during Trump's presidency due to federal investigations. The FBI's raid on Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 further strained their relationship. Trump has nominated Kash Patel to lead the FBI, with Patel's Senate confirmation hearing pending.
In his inauguration speech, Trump vowed to end what he called the 'weaponization' of the Justice Department and government, stating that the scales of justice would be rebalanced.
