Christopher Wray has stressed the bureau’s independence. FBI Director Christopher Wray is stepping down before the end of his 10-year term, after President-elect Donald Trump made clear he would fire him in favor of a loyalist intent on shaking up the bureau.

I look forward to Kash Patel’s confirmation, so that the process of Making the FBI Great Again can begin,' Trump said.

Wray said at a town hall meeting that he would be stepping down “after weeks of careful thought,” roughly three years short of the completion of a 10-year term