Christopher Wray, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), says he will resign from his post before President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

Wray announced his impending departure at an internal FBI meeting on Wednesday.

President-elect Donald Trump has publicly signalled his desire to replace Wray with Kash Patel, a long-time loyalist who has called for “dramatically” limiting the FBI’s authority.

Wray, who was himself nominated by Trump in 2017 to serve a 10-year term, has faced criticism during his tenure from Republicans due to the FBI’s investigations into Trump after he left office.

Speaking at the FBI meeting on Wednesday, Wray said: “After weeks of careful thought, I’ve decided the right thing for the bureau is for me to serve until the end of the current administration in January and then step down.”

“My goal is to keep the focus on our mission – the indispensable work you’re doing on behalf of the American people everyday,” he told his colleagues.

“In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” Wray said.

He also addressed the FBI’s mission in his remarks, saying that the bureau’s goal to “keep Americans safe and uphold the constitution” would not change.

Trump appointed Wray to lead the FBI after firing his predecessor James Comey following the FBI’s investigations into alleged contacts between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia.

When appointing him, Trump said Wray – a Yale Law School graduate – was a man of “impeccable credentials”.

But in recent years, Wray has fallen out of favour with the president-elect after the FBI assisted with a federal probe into Trump’s handling of classified documents, a case that has since been dropped.

Trump had repeatedly denied wrongdoing in that case and claimed the investigation was politically motivated.

Following his election to a second term, Trump said his pick for FBI director would be Patel – a former aide who has been a steadfast supporter of the incoming Republican president.

On Wednesday, Patel said he was “looking forward to a smooth transition and I’ll be ready on day one.”

Trump said Wray’s resignation was “a great day for America”.

“It will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Patel requires approval by the Senate before he can be appointed. In the meantime, FBI deputy director Paul Abbate, a veteran FBI agent, will run the bureau after Wray’s departure, the BBC’s US partner CBS News reported.

Patel has been viewed as a divisive figure for the job by some because of his fierce criticism of the FBI. In his memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel called for an eradication of what he called “government tyranny” within the FBI by firing “the top ranks”.

However, some Republican lawmakers have welcomed his nomination.

“Reform is badly needed at FBI,” Republican Senator Chuck Grassley wrote on X following news of Wray’s resignation, adding the American people deserve transparency and accountability.

Wray has strongly denied that he was pursuing a Democratic partisan agenda as FBI director, telling lawmakers in December 2023 at a House of Representatives hearing that he had been a lifelong Republican.

“The idea that I am biased against conservatives seems somewhat insane to me, given my own personal background,” he said.

US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, a Democrat, reacted to Wray’s resignation by thanking him for his service and saying that the FBI “will soon embark on a perilous new era with serious questions about its future.”

Wray was also praised by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who said in a statement that he had “served our country honourably and with integrity for decades, including for seven years as Director of the FBI under presidents of both parties.”

The FBIAA, the association representing the bureau’s agents, said that Wray led them “through challenging times with a steady focus on doing the work that keeps our country safe.”

FBI directors are appointed for 10-year terms – a length chosen to outlast political turnovers in the White House every four years, and therefore the appearance of bias.

Wray’s term was not due to expire until 2027. Trump would not have been able to appoint Patel, his pick, without firing Wray or him resigning voluntarily.