Trump’s nominee to head the FBI spars with Democrats, denies having an enemies list, distances himself from the president on Jan. 6 clemency, but refuses to admit Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Kash Patel has moved one step closer to becoming the most powerful Indian American official in President Trump’s orbit. Nominated to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the 44-year-old Indian American faced the Senate Judiciary Committee today for his confirmation hearing.
Patel defended his position, mostly to Senate Democrats, while occasionally sparring with them. He portrayed himself as a loyal ally to law enforcement, touting his years of experience as an assistant public defender, federal prosecutor and congressional staffer.
He told the committee that the FBI must return to tackling violent crime and committing to transparency for the law enforcement organization. He pledged not to abuse his power: “If confirmed as the next FBI director, I will remain focused on the FBI core mission that is to investigate fully wherever there is a constitutional factual basis to do so and to never make a prosecutorial decision,” he said.
Throughout today’s sometimes contentious hearing, he appeared calm and composed. At times he let out a chuckle or a smile, especially when a Republican senator criticized their Democrat colleague on the committee.
But the hearing didn’t begin without a Hindu moment. Patel acknowledged his parents — Pramod and Anjana Patel — who traveled to D.C., from India — and his sister Nisha — “who also traversed the world to be there.” He then welcomed them with a “Jai Sri Krishna” greeting.
Power Player
Although the FBI director’s post is not a cabinet position, it is the most powerful law enforcement organization, catapulting Patel into a position of immense power. Of course, Patel is not the first Indian American to have a high-profile post in an administration. In Trump’s first term as president, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley held an important Cabinet position — U.S. Ambassador to the United States. One cannot forget Kamala Devi Harris, who broke many glass ceilings in 2020 to become the first woman, first South Asian, and first Black vice president. But one can argue that hers was more of a symbolically powerful position.
Patel is seeking to head an agency that employs more than 35,000 people, who he will oversee, and will also be responsible for its day-to-day operations. Since the FBI is an agency within the Department of Justice, the director reports to the U.S. attorney general. The FBI director is appointed for a single 10-year term by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. The 10-year term is meant to insulate the position from politics. But Trump forced FBI director Chris Wray to resign, making it clear that he’d fire him. This gave Patel a clear path.
Partisan Hearing
As expected the hearing was partisan, with Republicans on the committee, defending Patel’s nomination, expressing confidence in his confirmation, and praising his record. Noting that the FBI needs reform, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley criticized the bureau’s handling of high-profile investigations. “It’s no surprise that public trust has declined in an institution that has been plagued by abuse, a lack of transparency, and the weaponization of law enforcement,” he said. If confirmed, Patel will “take charge of an FBI that is in crisis,” he noted.
The Democrats on the other hand questioned Patel’s impartiality and past statements regarding the agency. They read excerpts from his book “Government Gangsters,” and also mentioned some of the comments he made on some podcasts. But “Patel denied having an enemies list. “I have no interest, no desire, and will not, if confirmed, go backwards,” he said. “There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken by any FBI.” Calling it an “enemies list is a mischaracterization,” he said.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, emphasized the importance of an FBI director who prioritizes national security over personal grievances. “The nation needs an FBI director who understands the gravity of this mission and is ready on day one, not someone who is consumed by his own personal political grievances.”
BREAKING: Senator Dick Durbin just demolished Kash Patel in a way I didn’t think was possible. This needs to be spread like wildfire. pic.twitter.com/g49LUTmuAk
The confirmation hearing underscored the deep political divisions over the FBI’s role and independence. As Newsweek noted — Patel’s “appointment would mark a stark shift in the bureau’s leadership, given his history of criticizing its investigations into Trump and his close personal ties to the former president.”
So far, no Republicans have publicly stated their opposition to Patel’s nomination, and none raised concerns at the hearing.
While most of Patel’s responses were as expected, his stand on the Jan. 6 riots did not seem to be from his earlier playbook. The Trump loyalist distanced himself from his boss. “I do not agree with the commutation of any sentence of any individual who committed violence against law enforcement,” he said. “I have always advocated for imprisoning those who cause harm to our law enforcement and civilian communities.
His response was to North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ comment about the pardoning of the Jan. 6 defendants, whom he called “thugs.” He “suspected” if Patel had been heading the FBI, he would’ve talked Trump put pot his decision. “If you had been consulted on that, we’d have probably had a little different structure for the pardons.
During his questioning, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tried to blame the slow response of the National Guard on Jan. 6, 2021, on Democratic politicians like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington. He said they “failed to call for troops at the Capitol that day.”
It’s sad, yet entirely predictable, that Senate Democrats are using innuendo and smoke to blame Kash Patel for January 6th, when in fact he worked proactively to secure the Capitol days in advance.
Kash is a dedicated public servant who will restore integrity to the FBI as the… pic.twitter.com/YBwdG6tOD7
Patel was serving as chief of staff to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller during the attack after Trump appointed him to replace Mark T. Esper as the top Pentagon official. He was reportedly in constant contact with the then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on the day of the attack and was involved in discussions with senior Pentagon officials before and during the attack regarding security at the Capitol.
A day after the attack, Patel had issued a statement denying Trump’s reluctance to deploy the National Guard to the Capitol on Jan. 6. Patel said he spoke “multiple times this week about the request for National Guard personnel in D.C. During these conversations, the president conveyed to the acting secretary that he should take any necessary steps to support civilian law enforcement requests in securing the Capitol and federal buildings.”
Sparring With the Democrats
But Patel repeatedly refused to admit that Trump lost the 2000 election and Joe Biden won it. “What’s so hard about saying Biden won the 2020 election?” Asked Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). “President Biden was certified and sworn in,” Patel responded. “I don’t know how else to say it,” he added.
“The other way to say it is, he won,” Welch replied. “I can say Trump won. I didn’t vote for him, but he won,” he said. “You’re so skillful. You understand what I’m asking,” Welch said. “ Can you say the words, ‘Joe Biden won?’” Patel said: “Joe Biden was the president of the United States.”
Democrats on the committee pushed Patel on the question of his role as a defense witness in the criminal case, and whether he lied or tried to obstruct that investigation.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) grilled Patel on his alleged connection to the Jan. 6 choir, to which he claimed he was unaware of the members of the “J6 Choir,” which he reportedly helped produce and market. His colleague, the newly-mined Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), slammed Patel for allegedly fundraising off the riots. He challenged Patel “to turn round” and look at the Capitol police behind him, and tell them he’s “proud” of what he did. “Tell them you’re proud that you raised money off of people that assaulted their colleagues, that pepper sprayed them, that beat them with poles,” Schiff added. “That’s an abject lie,” Patel responded. “I’ve never, never, ever accepted violence against law enforcement.”
Kash Patel raised money for January 6 insurrectionists who attacked law enforcement.
I asked him to look those officers in the eye and tell them he was proud of what he did.
Patel also declined to tell senators what he testified about when he appeared before a grand jury investigating Trump’s handling of classified records after his first term ended. In late 2022, Patel initially pleaded the fifth when called to appear but was later compelled to testify after the Justice Department granted him testimonial immunity. “I did not commit a crime,” Patel said under questioning from Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.). “I utilized my constitutional rights during that process with the advice and consent of counsel.” When Booker pressed him if he’ll “lie for the president of the United States Patel replied “no.”
🚨 THIS IS DANGEROUS:
KASH PATEL IS LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH, UNDER OATH, IN FRONT OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WATCHING. pic.twitter.com/GVQp4T3AdH
