Indian-origin Kash Patel was sworn in as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday in the presence of his sister Nisha Patel, girlfriend Alexis Wilkins, and relatives.
“I am living the American dream,” Patel said after taking oath at the White House.
“Anyone that thinks the American Dream is dead, just look right here. You’re talking to a first-generation Indian kid who’s about to lead the law enforcement community, the greatest nation on God’s green earth," he said.
Patel, who traces his roots to Bhadran village in Gujarat's Anand district, became the first Indian-American to lead the premier law enforcement agency of the United States.
Patel's family migrated to Uganda some 70-80 years ago, and from there they fled to Canada to escape ethnic repression. They later moved to the US.
Patel studied law and became a public defender. During President Donald Trump's first term, he served as the Chief of Staff at the Pentagon and Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
"I think he'll go down as the best ever at that position," Trump said ahead of the White House swearing-in on Friday.
Several Republican supporters in Congress, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, attended the event.
The Democrats had raised concerns about Patel's appointment, saying he may operate as a loyalist for Trump and abuse the FBI's powers to hound the president's adversaries.
Patel, however, asserted that he intended to follow only the Constitution and had no interest in pursuing retribution. He also accused the reporters of writing "fake, malicious, slanderous and defamatory" stories about him.