Republican senators offer early support for Trump’s FBI pick Kash Patel

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida – Several Republican US senators said on Dec 1 they would back President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Mr Kash Patel to head the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an early show of support for a loyalist who has called for the bureau to be purged of those who oppose Trump’s agenda.

Mr Patel, nominated by Trump on Nov 30, also has advocated for a campaign of retribution against Trump's perceived enemies.

Mr Patel, 44, could face a challenging confirmation process with the US Senate. During Trump’s first term, Mr Patel, who advised both the director of national intelligence and the defence secretary, drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then President.

While some Democrats on Dec 1 voiced concerns that the law enforcement agency would become politicised and a tool for Trump to pursue adversaries under Mr Patel, several senior Republican senators praised Trump’s pick.

Republican US Senator Bill Hagerty told NBC’s Meet The Press that he had encouraged Trump to pick Mr Patel.

“There are serious problems at the FBI. The American public knows it. They expect to see sweeping change, and Kash Patel is just the type of person to do it,” Mr Hagerty said.

Republican US Senator Ted Cruz called Mr Patel “a very strong nominee”.

Mr Cruz told CBS’ Face The Nation that Mr Patel was a “real reformer” who would enter the FBI “to clean out the corrupted partisans” running the agency.

Republicans will have a majority when the new US Congress reconvenes in January.

By nominating Mr Patel, Trump is signalling that he is preparing to carry out his threat to oust current FBI director Christopher Wray, whose 10-year term does not expire until 2027.

Mr Wray, a Republican appointed by Trump in 2017, has since drawn his ire, especially after an FBI raid in 2022 on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida estate to search for classified government documents.

Republican US Senator Mike Rounds said he was not surprised Trump would want personnel “that he believes are very loyal”.

Mr Rounds said he had no issues with Mr Wray’s performance as FBI director, however, calling him “a good man” on ABC’s This Week.

Senior Democratic US Senator Dick Durbin, who will be one of the senators questioning Mr Patel during his confirmation hearing, said in a statement: “The Senate should reject this unprecedented effort to weaponise the FBI for the campaign of retribution that Donald Trump has promised.”

Veteran Republican Senator Chuck Grassley wrote on X that he would be happy to see Mr Wray replaced but said Mr Patel needed to prove himself in his confirmation hearing.

“Kash Patel must prove to Congress he will reform and restore public trust in FBI,” Mr Grassley said. REUTERS