By Steve Neavling
Brian Driscoll, the acting FBI director, has unexpectedly become a symbol of quiet resistance against Justice Department efforts to scrutinize agents who investigated the Jan. 6 riot, The New York Times reports.
Driscoll’s appointment was an accident. Trump’s White House mistakenly named him acting director online and never corrected it. Despite the mix-up, he has defended rank-and-file agents, refusing to hand over names without a formal review. His defiance has earned widespread support, with agents circulating memes portraying him as a saint and even Batman battling government overreach.
A heated confrontation with top Justice Department officials Friday fueled rumors he’d been fired, but the FBI later confirmed he remains in charge. Driscoll’s background includes leading high-risk hostage rescue operations, deploying with U.S. commandos in Syria, and testifying in terrorism trials.
Chris O’Leary, a former top counterterrorism agent, praised Driscoll’s leadership.
“What the FBI needs most is a principled leader, and we have one right now in Brian Driscoll,” he said.
