Photo: Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s choice to be director of the FBI, appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Democrats appear largely united against the nomination of Kash Patel for FBI director, with the minority in the Senate Judiciary Committee deciding Thursday to delay the vote until next week.
Republicans are not reacting well to the decision.
“Unbelievable. Democrat Senators are running scared. They’re terrified that @Kash_Patel is going to reform the 7th floor of the Hoover Building, arrest bad guys, and end 4 years of liberal weaponized government,” U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla, said on X. “Delay tactics are just that. Kash WILL BE CONFIRMED.”
While Republicans are suggesting that the delay shows Democrats are trying to hide corruption, Democrats justified the tactic by citing concerns about Patel’s partisanship.
“The FBI Director’s loyalty must be to the American people, to the Constitution, and to the rule of law. But Mr. Patel has made it clear that his loyalty is to the president,” U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said during a press conference following the decision.
During his confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patel pledged to restore public trust in the intelligence agency by acting transparently, ending the weaponization of the justice system against parents and people of faith, and protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
But Democrats on the committee raised concerns about past comments Patel has made about prosecuting his political enemies and promising to “annihilate” the “Deep State.”
Lawmakers also received evasive answers when grilling Patel about his connection with a Jan. 6th choir, though Patel broke with Trump’s decision to pardon Jan. 6 protesters.
“I have always rejected any violence against law enforcement,” Patel said during his hearing. “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement.”
During the first Trump administration, Patel worked in various intelligence and national security positions, during which time he began investigating the false allegations that Trump’s campaign colluded with the Russians.
Unbeknownst to him, the FBI secretly subpoenaed his records while he carried out the investigation, prompting condemnation from Republicans who said the bureau’s actions pointed to corruption within the bureau.
“The DC Cartel is quaking in their boots at the idea of someone as intelligent and talented as Kash Patel leading the FBI,” U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., reiterated on X Thursday. “They know he’ll find corruption – and root it out. He must be confirmed.”
1 thought on “Senate committee delays vote on Kash Patel for FBI director The Center Square”
The weak point in all this is the Republicans. They are also partakers of big donations from friends of big government, Plus they are so seldom in the majority they don’t push as hard as Democrats. Wake up congressional Republicans! Now is the time for all R’s to fight and threaten to cut off funding for reelection for all defectors! I will support that. And I believe President Trump is working on a fund to do just that.
Democrats have the Washington bureaucracy behind them, always, but that will be less of a problem in the future with the RIFs and elimination of whole departments. USAID in a recent disclosure shows a staff of 14,000 will become a staff of 294 people as Billions in non aid to impoverished countries is ee-liminated.
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