Kash Patel has been well-known for years within Donald Trump’s orbit as a loyal supporter who shares the president-elect’s skepticism of the FBI and intelligence community.

President-elect Trump’s nomination of Kash Patel to take over as FBI director — effectively firing current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who still has three years left in his 10-year term — has set off a firestorm on Capitol Hill.

Patel has criticized surveillance practices, calling for reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and opposing its recent reauthorization. He also suggested reducing the intelligence community’s size and splitting the FBI’s intelligence and law enforcement roles—moves that experts warn could weaken national security operations.