Democrat accuses Trump FBI pick Kash Patel of secretly ordering firings
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Senate Dem Claims FBI Nominee Patel May Have Committed Perjury
Above: Kash Patel is sworn in during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be FBI Director, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Jan. 30, 2025. Image copyright: Mandel Ngan/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Left narrative
Kash Patel's actions show he's already trying to turn the FBI into a right-wing retribution agency. His denial of involvement, coupled with his history of targeting political opponents, indicates a strategy to bypass legal oversight and use the FBI for political vendettas. If Patel can't even get through the confirmation process without breaking the law, he and his conspiracy-focused agenda should not be in charge of enforcing federal law.
Right narrative
Dick Durbin requested to delay Patel's confirmation process last week to give himself time to conjure up a smear campaign just like this. He knows that if Patel becomes FBI director, he will use his power not to unfairly target political opponents, but to investigate the more than a dozen FBI informants who are suspected of having taken part in Jan. 6. If Patel's confirmation is blocked, it will be a crushing blow to Americans' hopes of reforming the deeply corrupt FBI.