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Newly appointed FBI Director Kash Patel may soon bring in UFC trainers to beef up his agents.
According to reports, Patel discussed his possible plan to have the UFC train his FBI agents during his first video conference call with the bureau's 55 field office supervisors on Wednesday (February 26). Patel reportedly hopes the move will beef up agents' martial arts and self-defense skills.
News of potential training comes after President Donald Trump, a known fan of the sport, attended a UFC event in New York just days after winning the election in November. Trump was spotted sitting wth UFC President Dana White, who he has publicly claimed is a close friend of his.
During Wednesday's call, Patel reportedly said Dan Bongino, Trump's pick for FBI deputy director and UFC fan, inspired him to pursue the possible training. Patel added that he is exploring a partnership between the FBI and the UFC.
When asked about Patel's proposal, a former Justice Department official said, "It's clearly motivated by the glitz and glamour show, and Trump's friend."Other current agents have reportedly called the idea "surreal" and "wacky."
This isn't the first time Patel has caused waves since being sworn in last week. In one of his first acts, Patel directed 1,500 FBI employees to be transferred from Washington to field offices across the country. During Wednesday's call, Pael reiterated his position on scaling back staffing at headquarters and redistributing agents into the field.
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