Following his confirmation by the US Senate to lead the law enforcement agency he has long criticized, Kash Patel, the FBI’s new director, has pledged to “rebuild” the bureau.
By a slim 51-49 vote, the upper house of Congress accepted President Donald Trump’s nominee. Two Republicans abstained from voting.
Although the nominee has denied any intentions to pursue political grudges, Democrats had warned he would seek revenge against Trump’s opponents.
Patel, 44, downplayed his contentious earlier comments, including calling law enforcement personnel who looked into Trump “criminal gangsters,” during his confirmation hearings. He also denied maintaining a list of “deep state” foes.
All of the Democratic senators and two Republicans who frequently dissented, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted against Patel.
Since the inauguration of Trump one month ago, he was the 18th cabinet member to receive legislative approval.
Shortly after his Senate confirmation, Patel posted on X, “I am honored to be confirmed as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
“My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops – and rebuild trust in the FBI.”
“We will rebuild an FBI the American people can be proud of,” he stated.
After the Justice Department pushed out some of its top officials and demanded the names of agents who looked into the Trump supporters’ 2021 riot at the US Capitol, Patel takes over as head of a reorganized FBI.
Across Washington, DC, where Republicans were assembling for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), news of Patel’s confirmation was met with a standing ovation.
“What do you think about Kash Patel?” asked Senator Rick Scott of Florida as he stood on the CPAC stage. The response was thunderous applause.
The majority of Republicans saw Patel as a disruptor who will spearhead a long-overdue overhaul of the country’s top law enforcement agency, which they and Trump contend has been used as a weapon against conservatives.
Democrats, meanwhile, claim that Patel is a far-right conspiracy theorist with minimal law enforcement expertise who would violate his oath to run an agency that should function independently out of loyalty to Trump.
“[Patel] is completely unable to serve as our FBI Director due to his inexperience and bad judgment. On X, Senator Martin Heinrich declared, “I voted no.”
Patel takes over for Trump’s 2017 choice of Christopher Wray. After the new Republican president threatened to dismiss him, Wray quit prior to last month’s inauguration.
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