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The United States Senate voted to confirm the former Federal Prosecutor Kash Patel As the next director of the Federal Investigation Bureau (FBI), continuing a series of success for President Donald Trump's government candidates.
But the confirmation on Thursday came with thin margins. Only 51 senators, all Republican, voted in support of Patel in the Senate in 100 places.
There were two remarkable defects from the Republican Party: Lisa Murkovski of Alaska and Susan Collins from Maine. They joined 47 Democrats in opposing what critics called a dangerous nomination for the FBI.
“The recording of G -n Ptel demonstrates that he is dangerous, inexperienced and dishonest,” said Democratic Dirk Dirbin of Illinois Democratic Dirk Dirk. “He should not and cannot serve as an effective FBI director.”
During the vote, a parade of democratic legislators, including Durbin, took the Senate floor to warn against Patel's confirmation.
They raised questions about his ability to lead the FBI fairly, given past statements that suggest that he could use the Bureau's resources to continue after Trump's political rivals and journalists.
“It is shocking that my republican counterparts are ready to support him, despite the serious threat that represents our national security,” Darbin said.
“I'm sorry to say, I believe they will quickly regret this vote. When I think to give this man a 10-year term as director of the world's leading criminal investigations, I cannot imagine a worse choice. “
Confirmation
These concerns were reflected in the historically narrow boundaries through which Patel's confirmation passes. His predecessors at the FBI were approved with extremely bilateral support.
Former FBI Director Christopher Urai won confirmation in 2017 with 92 votes. Prior to it in 2013, James Komi scored 93 votes in support. And for Robert Müller in 2001, the vote was unanimous, 98 to zero.
Yet, with a solid 53-member Republican majority in the Senate, none of President Trump's candidates is expected not to reach a vote for confirmation.
Even Mitch McConnell of Kentucky – who broke the ranks with his Republicans for confirmations of Tulsi Gabard and Robert F Kennedy, Jr. – threw his support behind Patel on Thursday.
But in some statements, Collins and Murkovski explained that they could not vote for Patel for fear that he could use the FBI for political profit.
“My reserves with G -n Ptel are derived from his previous political activities and how they can influence his leadership,” Murkovski writes. “The FBI must be believed as a federal agency that eradicates crime and corruption, not focus on the settlement of political results.”
Collins sounded this mood, saying that Patel's “aggressive political activity” casts doubt on his ability to lead a non -party desk.
– Mr. Ptel's last political profile undermines his ability to serve in the apolitical role of Director of the FBI, “Collins explained in his statement.
This is not the first time Patel has broken the Republicans under the leadership of Trump.
During Trump's first term, from 2017 to 2021, Patel played various roles, including in the National Security Council and the Director of National Intelligence Director.
But there have been news reports that the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Gina Haspel, has threatened to resign because of Trump's prospect of baptizing Patel as her deputy.
In a memoir, Bill Bape, which was the Attorney General during Trump's first term, also recalled that he had taken off an offer to turn Patel Deputy Director of the FBI, saying that it would be “above my dead body.”
Facing the criticism of the Senate
During his Hedges to confirm In January, Patel defended himself against the allegations that he would use the FBI to make Trump bid. He also denied that he would do something illegal if he was confirmed as Director of the FBI.
“I have no interest, has no desire and will not be confirmed, if confirmed, it does not go back. There will be no FBI politicization, “said Patel on democratic senators when he was confronted with heated questions.
Patel also outlines his plans to increase the capabilities for law enforcement, including through the distribution of larger resources in the 50th states.
“One third of the FBI's workforce works in Washington, Colombia County,” Patel replied. “I am fully committed to having this labor force to go out inland where I live, west of Mississippi, and I work with the sheriff's departments and local officers.”
The son of Indian immigrants who moved from Uganda to Canada, and later the United States, Patel denied attacks on his character as “false accusations and grotesque misconduct.”
But he has repeatedly encountered his own words, from many appearances in podcasts and books he has written.
Patel, for example, spread the theory of conspiracy that the FBI planned the attack on the United States on January 6, 2021 as an operation “fake flag” by the supporters of the Trump Corner.
In an interview with September on Sean Ryan's show, Patel also threatened to “close” the FBI headquarters in Washington, Colombia County, and turn it into the “Museum of the Deep State”.
And speaking with Trump's ally Steve Bannon in 2023, Patel promised to go after the President's political rivals, whom he described as “criminals” and “conspirators”. He also reiterates false claims that the defeat of Trump's 2020 election against Joe Biden is deceptive.
“We will go out and find the conspirators, not only in the government but also in the media,” Patel said. “We will come after people in the media who lied to American citizens who helped Joe Biden Rig the presidential election.”
Patel has even written a children's book, The Parge Against the King, which portrays Trump as a monarch, besieged by antagonists formed after Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, his democratic rivals in presidential competitions in 2016 and 2024.
And the Democrats rammed him for his association with the “J6”, made up of defendants arrested after the attack in 2021 against Capitol.
Democrats insist on voting “No”
In the minutes before the Senate voted to confirm Patel, Democratic Senator Alex Padila of California characterized Patel as the use of Trump as his “cash cow” – an instrument for reserving media appearances and posting deals.
Padila also questioned whether Patel had experience in law enforcement or intelligence to qualify for work as a FBI director.
“Kash Patel demonstrates a dangerous lack of judgment, lack of preparation and lack of independence,” Padila said. “He has shown that he either does not want or cannot put the policy aside to protect the American people and maintain the constitution if it is confirmed that he is leading the FBI.”
Senator Adam Schiff, another Democrat in California, sounded his colleague. He expressed concern that the FBI would be gutted under the guidance of Patel as part of Trump's inclinations to the federal workforce.
“In democracy, law enforcement agencies do not serve the president, let alone someone who surrenders as a king. Law enforcement serves people, “said Schiff.
“I think that the people for whom the FBI should go are real criminals, not the enemies of the president of the day. The FBI should not serve as an army of Donald Trump. “
