FBI Director-designate Kash Patel successfully navigated a Senate panel vote on Thursday, paving the way for a final confirmation vote next week. The decision, split along party lines, saw all 12 Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote in favor of advancing Patel’s nomination, while all 10 Democrats opposed it.
A Long Island native, Patel boasts a diverse background as a former public defender, congressional aide, and national security official during the first Trump administration. His nomination received strong support from Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who praised Patel for undergoing “rigorous vetting” and his commitment to eliminating “political bias” within the FBI.
“Mr. Patel was instrumental in exposing Crossfire Hurricane. He showed that the Democratic National Committee funded false allegations against President Trump, that the DOJ and FBI hid information from the FISA court to wiretap a presidential campaign, and that an FBI lawyer lied in the process,” Grassley stated.
“As reward for his efforts to uncover the truth, he was attacked by the media, and the DOJ secretly subpoenaed his records. I know a thing or two about this kind of retaliation. My staff received similar treatment during our investigation,” Grassley added.
Senate Democrats, however, have raised objections, delaying the vote last week and accusing Patel, 44, of perjuring himself during his confirmation hearing. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Judiciary Committee’s ranking member, alleged that Patel falsely claimed ignorance of the recent dismissal of senior FBI officials while actively working behind the scenes after Trump took office.
Other Democrats have criticized Patel for his alleged involvement with the production of the song “Justice for All,” sung by Jan. 6 rioters held in federal prison, which Trump played at 2024 campaign rallies.
Grassley dismissed these accusations in his opening remarks, stating, “Before we even had a hearing, committee members called Mr. Patel ‘dishonest, untrustworthy, lacking in character, a wolf at the door, a conspiracy theorist, a staunch political loyalist, and a nightmare.’”
“The purpose of this is quite obvious — throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks,” he continued. “And they are directed at a nominee who served his country during both Democratic and Republican administrations.”
Grassley emphasized that the FBI is in dire need of “reforms” and “even firings,” asserting that Patel is the right person to lead the agency. He highlighted that whistleblowers who spoke with his staff faced retaliation from the same bureau officials who were recently dismissed.
During his confirmation hearing, Patel pledged to “cut in half” broad categories of crimes, including rape, homicide, and drug overdoses. “We will make sure we don’t have 100,000 rapes in this country next year, make sure we don’t have 100,000 drug overdoses from Chinese fentanyl and Mexican heroin, and make sure we don’t have 17,000 homicides,” he vowed.
Notably, Patel diverged from Trump on the issue of mass pardons for Jan. 6 rioters, including those who assaulted Capitol Police during the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in January 2021. “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement,” he stated.
Patel also assured senators that he would not use the FBI’s resources to investigate Democrats, emphasizing that “98% of the FBI is courageous, apolitical warriors of justice. They just need better leadership.”
If confirmed, Patel will serve a 10-year term as FBI director, tasked with restoring integrity and addressing the challenges facing the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.
