Senate confirms Trump’s pick for FBI director

The upper chamber returned a 51-49 vote on Thursday confirming Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the position of FBI director. The vote narrowly followed party lines, with every Democratic senator voting against the nomination. Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, were the only Republicans to break ranks and vote against Patel.

Why did the two Republicans cross party lines? Collins released a Thursday statement describing Patel as too politically charged for the job. Although Patel holds over a decade of public service, the bureau needs a decidedly apolitical leader, she wrote. Collins also noted that many FBI employees doubted that Patel could lead the FBI without the appearance of a political motive when asked on an internal survey.

Murkowski shared Collins’ concerns over Patel’s political history influencing his leadership. The FBI’s focus is rooting out crime and corruption, not settling political scores, according to her Thursday statement. She cited his unwillingness to push back on the administration’s decision to share the identities of agents involved in the investigation and prosecution of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Murkowski said she hoped Patel would prove her wrong if he got the job.

What is Patel’s vision for the bureau? Let cops do their jobs and rebuild America’s trust in the FBI, he wrote in a Thursday statement after the Senate vote. People deserve transparency and accountability from the FBI which will no longer be used as a political weapon, he added.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report on Patel’s confirmation hearing.