Claims circulating on social media suggest that Kash Patel, a lawyer and former National Security Council staffer, has been appointed to head the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

🚨Breaking news🚨

Trump just appointed Kash Patel as the next CIA Director! pic.twitter.com/WTmKHm96qP

— Dustin Mills (@dustinemills24) November 11, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

Attorney John Ratcliffe was named head of the CIA. Patel has not yet been named to head any government agency.

Fact check:

Patel, known as an ally of President Trump, has been nominated to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ABC News. Critics fear that Patel’s appointment could fundamentally change the face of the government and the way the public service is run, the newspaper reported.

X-Post claims that Patel has been appointed as the new CIA director. The post does not mention the official news outlet. (Related: Did President Trump Announce Tucker Carlson as New Press Secretary?)

The claim that Patel was appointed CIA director is misleading. The lawyer was reportedly being considered by President-elect Donald Trump as a candidate to head the CIA. However, it ultimately reported that Ratcliffe had been nominated as the nominee for CIA Director. CNN. According to the newspaper, the former representative also served as President Trump’s director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021.

New York Post only mention This is considered a possibility, noting that Mr Patel has not yet been appointed. Any suggestion that he is currently in charge of the CIA or that his appointment is imminent misrepresents the Post’s reporting. Other news sources, e.g. ABC News and Reutersalso reports on the possibility of government selection, but emphasizes the speculative nature of these discussions. No official announcement regarding Patel’s appointment has been made by the government or verified sources.

This isn’t the first time Check Your Fact has debunked misleading information about the impact of a presidential election.