U.S. Senate Confirms Kash Patel As FBI Director

The Senate has narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as director of the FBI, placing him atop the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency despite concerns from Democrats about his qualifications and fears that he will act on behalf of Donald Trump to target the president’s adversaries, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Before his nomination, Patel stated that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” in both the federal government and the media. I Photo: U.S. Department of Defense

“I cannot imagine a worse choice,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) before the 51-49 vote in the GOP-controlled Senate. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the lone Republican holdouts.

A Trump supporter who has been highly critical of the FBI, Patel will inherit a bureau grappling with the Justice Department’s recent moves to oust senior officials and demand the names of thousands of agents involved in investigations related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Patel has pledged major reforms at the FBI, including reducing its Washington presence and shifting its focus back to traditional crime-fighting rather than intelligence gathering, which has defined the agency’s role over the past two decades.

However, he has also echoed Trump’s calls for retribution, raising alarms among Democrats. Before his nomination, Patel stated that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” in both the federal government and the media.