Patel scaled back his fierce criticisms of the FBI, repudiated QAnon conspiracy theories and broke with Trump on J6 pardons
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be FBI Director, is sworn in during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC on Jan. 30, 2025utside a hearing room in the Hart Senate Office Building, there was a long line of expectant MAGA supporters. Many had been waiting for hours, hoping to witness a defining moment ushering in a Trumpian takeover of one of the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agencies.
It was no secret why. With nearly the entire Republican Party under Trump’s control, Patel needs only to avoid alienating a small cohort of GOP Senators whose opposition could imperil his nomination. To that end, Patel played it safe, hoping to abate fears that he would end the bureau's longstanding tradition of independence from the White House.
Patel eschewed direct questions about specific actions he would take in office, instead committing to avoid wrongdoing more broadly. “I would never do anything unconstitutional or unlawful,” he said. When Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey asked him to share his grand jury testimony on Trump’s classified documents case, Patel rebuffed the request, saying that he didn’t have the authority to do so. At another point, he refused to say whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
In a surprising move, Patel said he didn’t agree with Trump commuting the sentences of people who assaulted Capitol police officers on Jan. 6, 2021. “There can never be a tolerance for anyone who committed violence against law enforcement,” said Patel, who has called the rioters charged with crimes as “political prisoners.
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