Kash Patel has been well-known for years within Donald Trump’s orbit as a loyal supporter who shares the president-elect’s skepticism of the FBI and intelligence community.

Powerful MAGA voices are hailing him as their No. 1 avenger to hunt down and decapitate the modern-day Hydra known as the “deep state,” a central villain of the conspiracy theory that gained momentum during Trump’s first term in office.

Patel has criticized surveillance practices, calling for reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and opposing its recent reauthorization. He also suggested reducing the intelligence community’s size and splitting the FBI’s intelligence and law enforcement roles—moves that experts warn could weaken national security operations.