Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Sunday said Kash Patel will need to prove to Congress he will reform and restore public trust in the FBI if he is to win confirmation to the role.
President-elect Trump on Saturday night said he would nominate Patel, a Trump loyalist who has vowed to go after the media and president-elect’s opponents, to lead the FBI.
The choice, which had been the subject of speculation for some time, excited Trump’s MAGA movement but sparked immediate concerns from Democrats.
Patel has called for mass firings, particularly at both the Justice Department and the FBI, and has also called for stripping security clearances of anyone involved in investigating Trump while he was a candidate in 2016. He has regularly accused a “deep state” of thwarting Trump during his first term.
Grassley suggested he was happy to see Trump replace FBI Director Chris Wray, who Trump nominated to lead the law enforcement bureau after he fired former FBI Director James Comey.
But Grassley stopped well short of saying he would definitively back Patel’s nomination.
“Chris Wray has failed at fundamental duties of FBI Dir,” Grassley wrote in a message on X. “He’s showed disdain for cong oversight & hasn’t lived up to his promises It’s time 2 chart a new course 4 TRANSPARENCY +ACCOUNTABILITY at FBI.”
“Kash Patel must prove to Congress he will reform &restore public trust in FBI,” stated Grassley, a veteran lawmaker known for his scrutiny of federal law enforcement and his protection for whistleblowers.
Republicans hold 53 seats in the Senate, meaning Trump and Patel can afford three defections, assuming Democrats are unified against the pick.
Patel was immediately seen as Trump’s most controversial nomination since former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who the president-elect initially picked to be attorney general. Gaetz asked that his nomination be withdrawn as it became clear he lacked the support for confirmation.
So far, reaction to the Patel pick has been relatively predictable, with Trump supporters hailing the decision and critics of Trump expressing revulsion.
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