US President Donald Trump’s staunch supporter, Kash Patel, was confirmed as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), on Thursday. This puts Patel atop the nation’s most prominent law enforcement agency during a growing upheaval.
The Republic-led Senate confirmed Indian-origin, Patel with a 51-49 vote, despite doubts from Democrats about his qualifications and concerns he will do Donald Trump’s bidding and go after the Republican president’s adversaries. “Mr. Patel will be a political and national security disaster,” Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Two moderate Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also joined all Democrats in opposing Patel, but it was not enough to overcome broad Republican support. Collins and Murkowski opposed Patel’s nomination, citing concerns over his past political advocacy for Trump and its possible impact on the FBI’s law enforcement operations.
Patel will take over an FBI in turmoil, as the Justice Department has recently ousted several senior officials and made the unprecedented request for the names of thousands of agents involved in investigations related to the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, according to the Associated Press (AP) report.
He has expressed his desire to implement major changes to the FBI, including a reduced footprint in Washington and refocusing on the bureau’s traditional crime-fighting duties, shifting away from the intelligence-gathering role that has shaped the bureau’s mandate over the past two decades amid growing national security threats.
However, he has also echoed Trump’s calls for retribution, alarming Democrats by stating — before his nomination — that he would “come after” anti-Trump “conspirators” within the federal government and the media.
In a statement posted after the vote on the social media platform X, Patel wrote that he was honoured to be confirmed as FBI director, “The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice. The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust — but that ends today,” he wrote. He said his mission as director was to “let good cops be cops — and rebuild trust in the FBI.”
I am honored to be confirmed as the ninth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Thank you to President Trump and Attorney General Bondi for your unwavering confidence and support.
The FBI has a storied legacy—from the “G-Men” to safeguarding our nation in the wake of…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) February 20, 2025
Republicans, frustrated by what they perceive as law enforcement bias against conservatives under the Biden administration and ongoing criminal investigations into Trump, have rallied behind Patel as the ideal candidate for the role.
According to Reuters, Trump and his allies had during his campaign to place loyalists in the department and curb the independence of a career workforce they have long viewed with suspicion. Since 2016, Trump has been entangled in Justice Department investigations and faced two federal criminal cases during his time out of office – both were dropped after his election victory, before going to trial.
