Kash Patel became the first American of Indian heritage to lead the top investigative organization when the Republican-controlled US Senate confirmed him as the next director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday.
Two Republican senators joined all Democratic senators in opposing Patel’s nomination, which was ultimately approved by a 51-49 majority.
The Senate is controlled by the Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority.
In addition to being the first Asian-American to serve as the Director of the FBI, Patel also makes history by being the first Director of Indian heritage.
He’ll be successful. President Donald Trump also nominated Christopher Wray for a term that is expected to last ten years but hasn’t in recent years. Two of his direct predecessors left before the end of their terms. His predecessor, James Comey, having served only four of his ten years when Trump fired him in 2017, while Wray had resigned on Trump’s election with two years remaining in his 10-year term.
His candidacy was rejected by two Republicans, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
In a statement, Collins stated that Patel “has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead,” which she claimed had “cast doubt on Patel’s ability to advance the FBI’s law enforcement mission in a way that is free from the appearance of political motivation”.
Trump’s second-term nominations of Patel, Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for head of Health and Human Services were among the most contentious. Even some Republicans had reservations about them, but ultimately, the majority of them agreed.
Democrats have opposed Patel’s nomination, and at his confirmation hearing, they grilled him extensively on his opinions on the January 6 rioters and the incident, as well as his comments and remarks, including his criticism of the agency he is nominated to lead.
“Kash Patel — mark my words — will cause evil in this building behind us, and Republicans who vote for him will rue that day,” Democratic candidate Sheldon Whitehouse stated just hours before the vote during a press conference outside the FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A former public defender, Patel has had a rapid ascent in Washington, D.C.’s power structure in recent years, becoming the Deputy Director of National Intelligence during President Trump’s first term and the Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense.
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