WASHINGTON, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Kash Patel to serve as FBI director, turning to a fierce ally to upend America's premier law enforcement agency and rid the government of perceived 'conspirators.' It's the latest bombshell Trump has thrown at the Washington establishment and a test for how far Senate Republicans will go in confirming his nominees.

The selection is in keeping with Trump's view that the government's law enforcement and intelligence agencies require a radical transformation and his stated desire for retribution against supposed adversaries. It shows how Trump, still fuming over years of federal investigations that shadowed his first administration and later led to his indictment, is moving to place atop the FBI and Justice Department close allies he believes will protect rather than scrutinize him.