U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper decided Thursday he could not grant a motion from unions representing the workers to stop the layoffs, though he acknowledged chaos caused by Trump's blitz of second-term executive actions.

Patel has spoken of his desire to implement major changes at the FBI, including a reduced footprint at headquarters in Washington and a renewed emphasis on the bureau's traditional crime-fighting duties.

Kash Patel has been confirmed by the Senate today as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with Senator Dick Durbin saying “I cannot imagine a worse choice".

The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate confirmed Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick for FBI director, on Thursday, putting a Trump loyalist atop the nation's most prominent law enforcement agency at a time of growing upheaval.