The Senate voted Tuesday alongside get together traces to advance the nomination of Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s decide for FBI director, clearing a procedural hurdle to arrange a remaining vote on the controversial Trump ally to guide the federal legislation enforcement company.
Lawmakers within the Higher Chamber voted 48-45 to advance Patel’s nomination, as Democrats maintain considerations that he would function as a loyalist for the president and goal the administration’s political enemies.
This units up a remaining affirmation vote later within the week. A few of Trump’s different extra controversial picks — together with new Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — have obtained sufficient help from Republican lawmakers in search of to fall in line to push the president’s agenda.
KASH PATEL’S NOMINATION TO LEAD FBI CLEARS FIRST MAJOR SENATE HURDLE
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s option to be director of the FBI, seems earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee for his affirmation listening to, on the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
A former intelligence and Protection Division official in Trump’s first time period, Patel has supported reshaping the FBI, together with by increasing its position to hold out Trump’s mission focusing on immigration.
He has been a vocal critic of previous FBI investigations into Trump, together with on Trump’s mishandling of labeled paperwork, his makes an attempt to overturn the 2020 election and debunked allegations of Russian interference within the 2016 election.
Patel has been panned for his lack of administration expertise in comparison with previous FBI administrators and for his many incendiary previous statements, together with calling investigators who probed Trump “authorities gangsters” and claiming that no less than some defendants charged within the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot have been “political prisoners.”
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s option to be director of the FBI, seems earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee for his affirmation listening to, on the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite)
Democrats have additionally criticized Patel for supporting false claims about voter fraud within the 2020 election and his refusal to affirm that former President Joe Biden defeated Trump in that 12 months’s election. However Patel has nonetheless obtained help from many Republicans, together with moderates.
“I’ve spoken to a number of individuals I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—each for and towards. Those who labored intently with Kash vouched for him. I’ll vote for his affirmation,” Louisiana GOP Sen. Invoice Cassidy mentioned Tuesday on X.
PATEL CAMP DECRIES DURBIN ACCUSATIONS AS ‘POLITICALLY MOTIVATED’ ATTEMPT TO DERAIL FBI CONFIRMATION
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s option to be director of the FBI, seems earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee for his affirmation listening to, on the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. (AP Picture/Ben Curtis)
Patel mentioned at his affirmation listening to final month that Democrats have been taking a few of his feedback out of context or misunderstanding his level, together with when he proposed shutting down the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C. and turning it right into a museum for the “deep state.” Patel additionally denied the accusation that his e-book’s inclusion of a listing of presidency officers who he claimed have been a part of the “deep state” constituted an “enemies record,” pushing again on that allegation as a “whole mischaracterization.”
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The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-10 alongside get together traces final week to advance his nomination to the total Senate.
Reuters and The Related Press contributed to this report.
