Kash Patel Confirmed to Lead FBI
Kashyap “Kash” Patel was confirmed to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in a 51-49 Senate vote Thursday, despite Democrats’ desperate attempts to block his nomination.
Patel, a former federal prosecutor and prior Trump administration intelligence official, won the vote without help from Republican Sens. Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK), who joined the Democrats against him.
The Senate went 51-47 to advance his nomination earlier on Thursday, with Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and John Fetterman (D-PA) missing the vote.
President Donald Trump selected Patel to run the FBI shortly after winning the November election, calling him a “brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
“He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at the time. “Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council. Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials.”
In a February 4 letter led by Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Democrats called Patel’s nomination “dangerous,” and requested that Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) hold an additional hearing with him after they struggled to halt his nomination’s momentum during a nearly six-hour hour confirmation hearing on January 30.
The letter was also signed by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Grassley declined the request, writing that Patel “has provided ample opportunity for this Committee to scrutinize his record” and that “none of the issues raised in [the Democrats’] letter justify delay.”
Patel led counterterrorism activities for the White House while serving as senior adviser to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and became chief of staff at the Pentagon during Trump’s first term.
He is set to serve a 10-year term following the resignation of FBI Director Christopher Wray, who Trump appointed in 2017.
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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/02/20/kash-patel-confirmed-to-lead-fbi/
