Kash Patel, the nominee of President Donald Trump for the position of FBI Director, stated on Thursday that he is the right leader for the law enforcement agency, which he said has lost public trust. He told senators that if confirmed by the Senate, he would engage in a “proper and transparent process.”
During his confirmation hearing, Patel was prepared for deeply skeptical questions from Senate Democrats regarding his loyalty to the President and expressed his desire to improve the FBI.
He is a staunch supporter of Trump, who, before being nominated to lead the FBI, had criticized the agency for its investigations into the President and claimed that the January 6 rioters were mistreated by the Department of Justice.
Senator Dick Durbin, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, stated that the FBI is critical in keeping America safe from terrorism, violent crime, and other threats, and that the country “needs an FBI Director who understands the weight of this mission and is ready from day one, not someone consumed by their personal political grievances.”
Patel was appointed in November to replace then-director Christopher Wray, who led the federal law enforcement agency for more than seven years but was forced to step down from a position Trump had appointed him to during his first term.
The former aide to the House Intelligence Committee and former federal prosecutor, who served in President Trump’s first administration, has alarmed critics with his rhetoric in numerous podcasts and books, expressing open support for Trump and attacking decisions made by the agency he now wishes to lead.
He has also named officials he believes should be investigated.
In an interview last year, he stated that if he became FBI Director, he would “shut down” the building housing its headquarters in Washington and “reopen it the next day as a museum of the ‘deep state.'”
“And I would take the 7,000 employees working in that building and send them across America to go after criminals. Go become cops,” he added.
In an article published on Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal, Kash Patel did not mention some of his harsher comments and criticisms of the FBI, except to say that his time as an employee of the House of Representatives, investigating flaws in the FBI’s investigation into Trump’s Russia ties, showed how “the limitless power of the FBI could be abused.”
“I led the investigation that revealed that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a tool I had previously used to catch terrorists, was illegally used to spy on political opponents,” he wrote. “Such behavior is unacceptable and undermines public trust.”
Patel promised to be transparent if confirmed and stated that he would not allow the FBI to get involved in prosecutorial decisions, leaving them to the Department of Justice.
“First and foremost, those who are capable, go become police officers,” wrote Patel, describing his priorities. “Leadership means supporting agents in their mission to apprehend criminals and protect our citizens. If confirmed, I will focus on streamlining operations by increasing agent presence on the ground, nationwide. Cooperation with law enforcement agencies is essential to fulfilling the FBI’s mission.”
Patel shares with Trump a skepticism towards government oversight and a political system often referred to as the “deep state,” a term the President uses to describe the government bureaucracy.
He was part of a small group of Trump supporters who accompanied him to court during his recent criminal trial in New York, where he told reporters that Trump was a victim of an “unconstitutional circus.”
This close connection would break with the tradition of FBI directors maintaining a distance from presidents.
Several Democratic senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee who have met with Patel, including Senator Durbin, have issued statements signaling their opposition to his confirmation. Lawmakers also questioned Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, when she had her confirmation hearing earlier this month, according to VOA.
Trump’s Republican allies, who share his stance that the FBI is politicized, have expressed support for Patel. They view him as someone who could bring the necessary change.
Senator Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the committee, sought to temper attacks on Patel beforehand by focusing on the need to reform the FBI, which they believe is being exploited against political opponents.
In recent years, the FBI has been involved in several high-profile political investigations, including not only two federal investigations into Trump that resulted in lawsuits but also investigations into President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
“It’s no wonder that public trust has eroded in an institution that has been undermined by abuse, lack of transparency, and exploitation against political opponents,” said Senator Grassley. “However, the FBI remains a critical institution, even an indispensable one, for law and order in our country.”
Later, he added, “Mr. Patel, if confirmed, you will take on the responsibility of an FBI in crisis.”
