WASHINGTON, USA — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the FBI, sought to assure lawmakers that he would not use the agency for political retribution.
He pushed back against Democratic concerns that his leadership could turn the bureau into a tool for partisan investigations.
“I have no interest, no desire, and will not, if confirmed, go backwards,” Patel said during a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Thursday, January 30, 2025, where support for his nomination fell along stark partisan lines.
“There will be no politicization at the FBI. There will be no retributive actions taken,” he added, addressing concerns that he might target Trump’s political adversaries.
A Contentious Confirmation Process
Patel, a former chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense under Trump, has long been seen as a close ally of the former president.
His nomination has sparked fierce opposition from Democratic lawmakers, who have questioned his past efforts to challenge the Justice Department and the intelligence community.
Republicans on the committee largely defended Patel, describing him as an experienced national security official capable of restoring trust in the FBI.
“Kash Patel is exactly the kind of leader we need to clean up the FBI and restore faith in federal law enforcement,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the committee’s ranking Republican.
Democrats, however, raised concerns about Patel’s past role in efforts to discredit the FBI’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, as well as his frequent attacks on career intelligence officials.
“We cannot confirm someone with a history of undermining the rule of law to run the nation’s top law enforcement agency,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman.
Concerns Over Political Retaliation
Some Democrats on the committee directly pressed Patel on whether he would use the FBI to pursue Trump’s political opponents, citing Trump’s repeated public statements suggesting that he intends to use federal agencies to settle scores.
In response, Patel dismissed the accusations, saying that he had no “enemies list” and no intention of weaponizing the bureau.
“I have no enemies list. There is no list of people to be prosecuted,” Patel said.
When asked whether he would open investigations into President Joe Biden or his family, Patel said he would not direct probes based on political pressure but emphasized that the FBI must follow evidence wherever it leads.
“The FBI’s mission is to enforce the law without bias or favour. That is what I intend to do,” he said.
The Path Forward
With Senate Republicans largely backing Patel and Democrats firmly opposed, his confirmation will likely hinge on a handful of moderate senators, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who have not yet indicated how they will vote.
If confirmed, Patel would take over an FBI that has faced increasing political scrutiny and declining public trust, with both Republicans and Democrats accusing the bureau of bias in recent years.
While Trump and his allies argue that the FBI has unfairly targeted conservatives, Democrats warn that putting a staunch Trump loyalist in charge of the agency could compromise its independence.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on Patel’s nomination in the coming weeks, with a full Senate vote to follow.
