Trump's FBI chief pick Kash Patel met with Senate opposition
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Lawmakers from both major political parties shared starkly differing views on Patel’s nomination during Sunday talk shows.
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Kash Patel speaks at a rally in Minden, Nev., Oct. 8, 2022 (AP)
US President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to nominate Kash Patel, a prominent “deep state” conspiracy theorist and outspoken critic of the FBI, as the bureau’s next director has sparked a significant backlash in Congress, The Guardian reported on Sunday.
Patel, who has vowed to dismantle the FBI’s leadership and convert its Washington, D.C., headquarters into a “museum of the deep state,” is expected to face a contentious Senate confirmation process.
Lawmakers from both major political parties shared starkly differing views on Patel’s nomination during Sunday talk shows. The nomination, announced by Trump on Saturday, is contingent upon the removal or resignation of current FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 and has three years remaining in his 10-year term.
Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota hinted at potential obstacles to Patel’s confirmation, praising Wray’s leadership and emphasizing the Senate’s constitutional role in the process.
Wray is a "very good man," Rounds said on ABC’s This Week, adding that he had no objections to how he is handling his job.
While stating he typically defers to presidential nominations, Rounds underscored the importance of the Senate’s oversight role.
Other Republicans expressed strong support for Patel. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas told CBS’s Face the Nation that Patel is a “very strong nominee” capable of addressing what he described as “partisan corruption” within the FBI.
Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee echoed this sentiment on NBC’s Meet the Press, calling Patel "the best at uncovering what’s happened to the FBI."
Patel, a staunch Trump ally and author of children’s books celebrating “King Donald”, has consistently criticized the FBI as part of a so-called “corrupt ruling class.”
In a September interview, Patel pledged to shut down the FBI headquarters and reopen it as a museum, while using federal law enforcement powers to target individuals he accuses of government corruption.
Among those listed in his memoir is Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security advisor. Patel labeled Sullivan “one of the corrupt actors of the first order.”
When asked about Patel’s potential leadership of the FBI and the threats he has made, Sullivan declined to comment directly, stating that his focus remains on national security in the administration’s final 50 days.
However, he noted that Biden retained Wray as FBI director, honoring a bipartisan tradition of secluding the bureau from political influence.
Democratic lawmakers challenged claims of FBI politicization under Biden. Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland pointed out on CNN’s State of the Union that the FBI had recently prosecuted prominent Democrats, including Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas.
Reports from Axios revealed that Trump initially considered appointing Patel as deputy FBI director but elevated him to the top position after being unimpressed with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, his first choice for the role.
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