Let’s cut to the chase. These guys, man. They’re like Drake and Kendrick Lamar in a beef — big on theatrics but fragile when the spotlight turns their way. Kash Patel, Donald Trump, and their crew talk a big game about restoring law and order, but all they’ve really mastered is playing petty politics and weaponizing power against anyone who calls them out.
Patel isn’t new to this game. From lawsuits to threats, he’s built a reputation for lashing out when challenged. Back in 2019, Patel sued Politico for $25 million over a story about his alleged involvement in Trump’s Ukraine scandal. “The Nunes memo’s architect is no stranger to controversy,” wrote Politico’s Natasha Bertrand, who detailed how Patel blurred the lines between public service and personal loyalty to Trump. Patel called the reporting defamatory, but most saw the lawsuit as an intimidation tactic.
Fast forward to December 2023, and Patel was on record saying, “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or civilly. We’ll figure that out.” Imagine hearing that as a journalist — knowing the FBI might soon be weaponized against you for simply doing your job. Daniel Brunner, a former FBI agent, warned, “This appointment would be extremely dangerous… his tenure would likely result in retaliatory investigations and a chilling effect on press freedoms.”
And then there’s Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s so-called “blueprint to save America.” The plan brags about dismantling the “administrative state,” but let’s call it what it is — a roadmap for turning agencies like the FBI into personal enforcers for Trump’s agenda. Mehdi Hasan said it best: “Minorities like Patel, who align themselves with anti-minority agendas, become useful idiots in the hands of the powerful. But when their usefulness ends, so does their proximity to power.”
Here’s where it gets even messier. Trump’s administration has mastered the art of performative inclusion. Surround yourself with just enough people of color to wave around like shields, but never empower them to actually lead. Kash Patel fits the mold perfectly, as do other minority figures in Trump’s orbit, like Tim Scott and Byron Donalds.
Donalds has spent years fighting phantom battles — like railing against Critical Race Theory in K-12 schools. CRT isn’t being taught in schools, but that hasn’t stopped Donalds from co-sponsoring legislation to ban it. “CRT wants people to be trapped by the scars of our nation,” Donalds claimed. But in truth, CRT seeks to uncover and address systemic racism, not perpetuate division.
And then there’s his crusade against transgender rights, particularly around bathroom access. In 2021, Donalds urged the Lee County School Board to reverse policies protecting transgender students, aligning himself with arguments eerily reminiscent of the Jim Crow South. Discrimination under the guise of “safety” isn’t new — it’s just the same old song with a different verse.
Where does this leave the likes of Tim Scott and Byron Donalds? All that loyalty, all that co-signing Trump’s every move, and yet there’s not a single Black person in a meaningful position of power in his administration.
Scott defended Trump’s “shithole countries” comment, saying, “I don’t think it’s a racist statement. It’s a response to an immigration system that is broken.” And Donalds? He’s been on the frontlines of Trump’s culture wars, but to what end? Mehdi Hasan put it plainly: “When their usefulness ends, so does their proximity to power.”
This isn’t representation; it’s exploitation.
Patel, Scott, and Donalds aren’t here to empower anyone but themselves and their benefactors. They’re here to dismantle accountability, silence the press, and push policies that harm the marginalized. They’ll use lawsuits, threats, and performative politics to do it.
But here’s the thing: when one group’s rights are under attack, it sets the stage for others to face the same. Just because they’re not coming for you yet doesn’t mean you’re safe. The African American activist community knows this all too well — discrimination evolves to target whoever stands in the way of power. As journalist Bree Newsome Bass said, “They’re playing a role in a system that sees them as props, not people.”
They say they’re coming for us, but the truth is, they can’t handle what’s coming their way. Every word we write, every truth we tell, chips away at their fragile power. Patel, Scott, Donalds — keep cooning it up, keep suing, keep threatening. The more you try to silence us, the louder we’ll get. And the louder we get, the more transparent your agenda becomes. You can’t sue or legislate your way out of the truth — it’s coming, and it’s got your number.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Jay Morman's work on Medium.