US Senate confirms Kash Patel to lead FBI

WASHINGTON

The US Senate on Thursday confirmed Kash Patel to be FBI director for a term of ten years.

President Donald Trump's pick was confirmed in a 51-49 vote.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski voted against Patel.

Last week, a group of Democrats in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee to oppose the confirmation of Patel.

The Democrats raised concern that Patel will carry out Trump's "retaliatory efforts" rather than focus on the FBI's mission to keep the American people safe.

Patel tried to reassure lawmakers that if confirmed, he would uphold the FBI’s independence and avoid politically motivated investigations, during his testimony last month.

Trump and Patel have long criticized the Justice Department and FBI, accusing those agencies of being “weaponized” against conservatives and prioritizing politics over justice.