Trump intends to appoint Kash Patel as FBI director.

Trump announced last week that he plans to nominate Kash Patel, a former White House aide and longtime ally, to serve as FBI director, potentially making him the only U.S. president to have fired and installed two separate FBI directors in the middle of their 10-year terms.

Trump announced on social media that he plans to nominate Patel for FBI director, stating that he is a "brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People."

"He played a crucial role in exposing the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, acting as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution."

The National Police Association endorsed Patel on Friday, praising his record of "transparency" and "accountability," which makes him well-suited to lead the nation's law enforcement agency. Patel served as a deputy assistant and senior director for counterterrorism in the first Trump administration. He is a close ally of the president-elect.

The law enforcement community reacted with criticism and shock to news of Trump's plans to nominate Patel.

The removal of an FBI director is a contentious action that goes against the purpose of the position, which, under post-Watergate legislation, requires directors to be nominated for 10-year terms: a specific duration intended to enable directors to operate independently of political pressure or interference from the sitting president.

In 2017, Trump caused a stir in the law enforcement community by dismissing FBI Director James Comey, who was only halfway through his 10-year term. Trump later appointed Christopher Wray, whom he described as a "tough and tenacious" leader, to replace him.

In order for Trump to appoint Patel as FBI director, both Wray's resignation and Patel's confirmation by the Senate are necessary.

How Wray will leave remains unclear.

Wray has the option to leave his position before Trump's inauguration, but he has not yet decided whether he will do so. If Wray does not resign, Trump will be the only president in U.S. history to have fired and appointed two separate FBI directors.

The Senate must confirm Patel, and it is likely that the Republican-led chamber will approve him for the role.

Some Democrats have criticized Patel's nomination before his confirmation hearing, citing his past promises to prosecute journalists and officials at the Justice Department and FBI as part of the "deep state." However, he has since tried to clarify those remarks.

Only one other FBI director has been removed from office in U.S. history: William Sessions, a Reagan appointee who was widely disliked for being an ineffective leader and for using his position to commandeer limousines and private government flights for personal business, among other things.