The New Yorker Reinvents J. Edgar Hoover To Attack Kash Patel

The New Yorker worked overtime to reinvent the late J. Edgar Hoover — who led first the Bureau of Investigation and then the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for nearly 50 years — in order to pivot and attack President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Bureau: Kash Patel.

The outlet shared an article — headlined, “How would Kash Patel Compare to J. Edgar Hoover?” — via X with the following caption: “J. Edgar Hoover made the F.B.I. into a powerful but nonpartisan colossus. Kash Patel’s chief goal, by contrast, is to weaponize the Bureau to protect Donald Trump and wreak vengeance on his Administration’s enemies.”

J. Edgar Hoover made the F.B.I. into a powerful but nonpartisan colossus. Kash Patel’s chief goal, by contrast, is to weaponize the Bureau to protect Donald Trump and wreak vengeance on his Administration’s enemies. https://t.co/cUkJ28esXh

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) December 24, 2024

The article concedes that Hoover was biased and used the FBI at times to accomplish his own purposes — but claims that Patel would be worse.

According to The New Yorker’s own past reporting, that means Patel would be worse than an FBI director who for years ran “a highly secret program under that name which not only spied on civil-rights leaders, suspected Communists, public critics of the F.B.I., student activists, and many others but also sought to intimidate, smear, and blackmail them, to break up marriages, get people fired, demoralize them.”

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The coordinated effort to spy on Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. — and even an attempt to coerce him to commit suicide — all fell under the COINTELPRO banner.

Another article from just seven months ago labeled the notorious Hoover “Public Enemy No. 1,” and the X post promoting it read, “As F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover promised to save American democracy from those who would subvert it—while his secret programs subverted it from within. Read about Hoover’s tenure at the Bureau, which began on this day in 1924.”

As F.B.I. director, J. Edgar Hoover promised to save American democracy from those who would subvert it—while his secret programs subverted it from within. Read about Hoover’s tenure at the Bureau, which began on this day in 1924: https://t.co/EGZ83GvwqK. pic.twitter.com/sC4PWP7SaK

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) May 10, 2024

He would also apparently be worse than an FBI director who proposed suspending Habeas Corpus and imprisoning 12,000 people — 97% of whom were American citizens — in military facilities because he suspected them of “disloyalty.”

Hoover’s proposal, sent to then-President Harry S Truman in 1950, did say that those who were detained would eventually be granted a hearing — before one judge and two citizens — but that hearing “will not be bound by the rules of evidence.”

Critics mocked The New Yorker over the comparison, with The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway summing up the overall reaction thusly: “I can’t believe this is real.”

I can’t believe this is real

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 26, 2024

“Yes, the FBI under Hoover was famously free of political influence, corruption, and abuse,” one observed.

Yes, the FBI under Hoover was famously free of political influence, corruption, and abuse. https://t.co/con8bM5FZd

— Billy Gribbin (@BillyGribbin) December 26, 2024

“The New Yorker embraces the meme that every prior Republican President is lionized to demagogue the present Republican President. But this time, Hoover, who the New Yorker has attacked repeatedly, is now praised in comparison to Patel. So stupid,” Erick Erickson posted.

The New Yorker embraces the meme that every prior Republican President is lionized to demagogue the present Republican President. But this time, Hoover, who the New Yorker has attacked repeatedly, is now praised in comparison to Patel. So stupid. https://t.co/Erfd4BlQt6

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) December 26, 2024

“J Edgar Hoover compiled dossiers of damaging information on his rivals and enemies in order to threaten, blackmail, and discredit those who opposed him. He bugged MLK’s bedroom, recorded him having sex, and sent him a letter encouraging him to kill himself. Other than that, sure,” Robby Soave added.

J Edgar Hoover compiled dossiers of damaging information on his rivals and enemies in order to threaten, blackmail, and discredit those who opposed him. He bugged MLK's bedroom, recorded him having sex, and sent him a letter encouraging him to kill himself.

Other than that,… https://t.co/G2flrrHjgd

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) December 26, 2024