WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — Several Republican U.S. senators said on Sunday they would back President-elect Donald Trump’s choice of Kash Patel to head the FBI, an early show of support for a loyalist who has called for the bureau to be purged of those who oppose Trump’s agenda.
Patel, nominated by Trump on Saturday, also has advocated for a campaign of retribution against Trump’s perceived enemies.
Patel, 44, could face a challenging confirmation process with the U.S. Senate. During Trump’s first term, Patel, who advised both the director of national intelligence and the defense secretary, drew animosity from some more experienced national security officials, who saw him as volatile and too eager to please the then-president.
Republican U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he had encouraged Trump to pick Patel.
“There are serious problems at the FBI. The American public knows it. They expect to see sweeping change, and Kash Patel is just the type of person to do it,” Hagerty said.
Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz called Patel “a very strong nominee.”
Cruz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Patel was a “real reformer” who would enter the FBI “to clean out the corrupted partisans” running the agency.
Republicans will have a majority when the new U.S. Congress reconvenes in January.