The FBI used to be the most respected and admired government agency by far. A G-Man was someone to look up to and get excited about, but according to Sen. Rand Paul, things have changed, significantly. 

According to Breitbart, in a recent interview on Newsmax TV’s Eric Bolling The Balance, Paul described how deeply flawed the agency is now that it's part of what he called the "political class."

Unfortunately, fixing the once-respected agency would require a significant overhaul and, Paul said, is "only going to happen if we get a president who gets rid of the top 10% and brings in some law enforcement people” who aren't connected to politics.

During the interview, Paul blamed the Washington D.C. "swamp" for infecting so many in the agency.

"Potomac fever"

The Kentucky Republican senator held nothing back as he laid out what he believes to be the primary cancer that's causing the FBI to operate as a completely different, and dreadfully scary, type of government law enforcement agency.

Rand Paul says, FBI will only be reformed if we remove and replace 10 percent of the Agency. Rand, Is that it or should we search some more?

— Michael Camastro (@41132625M) January 25, 2023

"I think it’s swamp fever, Potomac fever. The ones closest to the swamp have become infected with influence and power and politics. I play golf with a retired FBI agent. He’s conservative. Most of the agents that I meet in the field are conservative," Paul said.

He added: "They’re typical law enforcement kind of people. … But really it’s the political class up here that is corruptible and [has] become very left-wing…these are the people infiltrating the FBI at the highest levels. We need a thorough cleaning."

"It’s only going to happen if we get a president who gets rid of the top 10% and brings in some law enforcement people from out in Kansas or Kentucky or someplace, people who truly are law enforcement people and let’s repopulate the FBI at the top with real law enforcement people, not politicians," the senator continued.

Spoke to a retired FBI agent recently. Said the same: the current leadership has made the FBI political and destroyed its reputation.#RemoveTheTop10

Rand Paul: FBI Will only Be Reformed if We Remove and Replace Top 10% of the Agency https://t.co/hcKjQ2aTCh via @BreitbartNews

— John Dennis (@RealJohnDennis) January 25, 2023

Deep reform needed

He's not wrong, either.

The right style of leadership back at the helm, along with a few years of trust-building and getting back to old-fashioned crime-fighting would do the agency a ton of good.

Rand's also right when he said it'll take the right Republican president to make sure such changes are considered and executed, as anything less than an "America First" kind of president will not be enough.

Only time will tell if that comes to fruition.