'Our adversaries are not scaling back': Concerns raised as Trump handcuffs FBI

A decision by the incoming Donald Trump administration to enforce a hiring freeze is creating alarm at the FBI that it may impact their ability to protect the nation's security.

According to a report from the Washington Post, the agency is already understaffed and "stretched thin" due to previous budget cuts and there are fears that a substantial number of recent hires may be purged by whomever is confirmed as the new director replacing the departing Christopher Wray.

As the Post is reporting, "The bureau’s human resources division, in an internal memo issued on Friday, detailed the moves it was taking as a result of the order, including supplying the White House with a list of probationary employees," adding, "Employees’ concerns have only been compounded by the deep suspicion and relentless attacks President Trump and his pick to be the agency’s director, Kash Patel, have leveled at the bureau over its previous criminal investigations that ensnared Mr. Trump."

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One request that is particularly alarming is a request for the names of the most recently hired, many of whom are still on probation. status.

According to the Post, "The memo said the bureau had to justify which employees on the list the agency wanted to retain."

"Firing new agents would be a considerable blow to the F.B.I., which spends tens of thousands of dollars recruiting, hiring and putting them through 20 weeks of extensive training," the Post reported.

In a recent interview, outgoing Director Wray warned, "Our adversaries are not scaling back their efforts because of the constrained budget environment. In fact, threat actors may try to take advantage of federal budget reductions to conduct nefarious activities.”

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