Kashyap “Kash” Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has spent his first confirmation hearing before the United States Senate trying to dodge accusations that he would use the domestic security agency for political gain.
Patel’s appearance was one of three contentious hearings unfolding on Thursday, as Trump’s nominees for high-level government positions seek to gain Senate approval.
They included Robert F Kennedy Jr, a vaccine sceptic seeking to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to serve as director of national intelligence.
But while both Gabbard and Kennedy are relatively recent allies of Trump, Patel was scrutinised for his longstanding allegiance to the Republican leader and real estate tycoon.
Patel, 44, was a public defender and federal prosecutor before joining Trump’s administration during his first term as president in 2019. He served in various roles, including under the secretary of defence and the director of national intelligence.
But after Trump’s first term ended, reports emerged that several officials vehemently objected to Patel’s ascent in the ranks. Gina Haspel, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), reportedly threatened to resign if Patel had been named deputy director of the agency.
Patel has nevertheless remained one of Trump’s close advisers and media proxies, even authoring a children’s book that sympathetically depicts the Republican leader as a besieged king.
He has also made a series of public statements suggesting he may prosecute journalists if approved as FBI director and turn the bureau’s headquarters into a “museum of the deep state”.
Those statements were repeatedly brought up during Thursday’s hearing, as Democrats pressed him on his qualifications and ethical standards. Here are key takeaways from the hearing.
Senator Thom Tillis holds up a ‘bingo card’ of items he anticipates to be raised during Patel’s hearing [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]
Republicans line up behind Patel
At the outset of the hearing, Republican leaders on the Senate Judiciary Committee appeared to rally behind Patel, despite the controversy looming over his nomination.
Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of the committee, set the tone in his opening remarks.
He echoed Trump’s allegations that the Department of Justice and the FBI had been weaponised against Republicans — and the president in particular.
Trump was impeached twice in his first term, and after he left office in 2021, he became the first US president to face criminal charges, including for falsifying business records, withholding classified documents and seeking to subvert an election.
“Public trust in the FBI is low. Only 41 percent of the American people think the FBI is doing a good job,” Grassley said. “There’s no surprise that public trust has declined in an institution that has been plagued by abuse, lack of transparency and weaponisation of law enforcement.”
Grassley added that Patel, if confirmed, would be tasked with restoring that trust.