Topline
Kash Patel’s Senate confirmation as FBI director is showing some early signs it could go ahead, as some Republican senators are noncommittal on whether they’ll vote for him but none have said publicly they’ll reject him.
Kash Patel campaigning for Trump in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 10, 2024. (Photo by Peter … [+]
Timeline
Prominent GOP senators have indicated Patel has a good chance of passing Senate muster: Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told CBS “I like Kash’s chances of getting confirmed,” while Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, told Politico she “absolutely” thinks he’ll get the job, and others who have expressed some hesitance have stopped short of saying they would reject him, including moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who told Politico she will “have to do a lot of work before reaching a decision.”
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., expressed support for existing FBI Director Chirstopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 to replace James Comey, when asked about Patel on ABC, telling the network Wray is “a very good man” and he has no “complaints about the way he’s done his job right now” (FBI directors serve 10-year terms, meaning Wray must resign or Trump must fire him in order to clear the way for Patel’s confirmation).
When asked if he was surprised or concerned Trump nominated Patel—a controversial figure in Trump’s first administration—Rounds said it was Trump’s “right” to choose who he pleases, reiterating Trump’s nominees require the “advice and consent” of the Senate, but stopping short of commenting on Patel directly.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tweeted that “Patel must prove to Congress he will reform &restore public trust in FBI,” echoing Patel’s and Trump’s claims that the agency is in need of an overhaul, while criticizing Wray, who Grassley said “has failed at fundamental duties of FBI Dir” and “hasn’t lived up to his promises.”
Other GOP senators, including Ted Cruz, Texas, Bill Hagerty, Tenn., and Marsha Blackburn, Tenn., said they support Patel in the wake of Trump’s announcement on Saturday.
Big Number
3. That’s the maximum number of Senate Republican votes Patel or any of Trump’s nominees can afford to lose to be confirmed by the Senate if all Democrats vote against them.
Who Is Kash Patel?
Patel served several different roles in Trump’s first administration. He was senior counsel to Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., when Nunes led the House Intelligence Committee probe into the FBI’s investigation of Russia’s coordination with Trump’s 2016 campaign. Patel helped draft the controversial report on the committee’s probe that alleged the FBI was politically biased in its investigation. Patel then served as Trump’s senior director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council and was subsequently appointed senior adviser of Trump’s directors of national intelligence and finally, chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller. Patel has parlayed his devotion to Trump into numerous business ventures, including hawking a line of pro-Trump merchandise, helping produce the pro-Jan. 6 rioter anthem “Justice for All” and authoring a children’s book called “The Plot Against The King” that depicts himself as a wizard defending “King Donald.”
Why Is Patel So Controversial?
Critics allege Patel has put his loyalty to Trump above the duties of the government agencies he’s served in. Patel “appeared singularly focused on pleasing Trump” while serving in his Defense Department and intelligence roles, The Atlantic reported, and strove to “restrict the intelligence agencies’ power,” according to The Washington Post, in part by weeding out officials who were not fully aligned with Trump. When Trump reportedly attempted to make Patel the deputy director of the CIA or FBI during the final months of his presidency, then-CIA Director Gina Haspel and then-Attorney General William Barr threatened to resign in protest, according to multiple reports. Patel has stayed close to Trump since he left office, campaigning for him and vowing to help Trump seek retribution against his political enemies. At one point, he said he wants to go after Trump’s alleged enemies “not just in government but in the media.” In his “Government Gangsters” book, Patel called for a “comprehensive housecleaning” of Justice Department and FBI officials and alleged “the FBI has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken,” ABC News reported.
What Has Trump Said About Patel?
Patel “played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday, adding that Patel would work alongside Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general, to “bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
What To Watch For
Patel is one of several controversial Trump nominees. Trump’s initial pick for attorney general, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name amid sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. Trump’s choice for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has faced allegations of sexual assault (which he denies), and Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed a litany of controversial views and was accused of sexual assault.
Further Reading
Trump Picks Kash Patel To Run FBI—And Here’s Why Critics Are Worried (Forbes)
The Man Who Will Do Anything for Trump (The Atlantic)
