President Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, clashed with Senate Democrats in a heated hearing, pushing back on their January 6 narrative.
Patel claimed former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ignored warnings about security risks. He testified that Trump had authorized up to 20,000 National Guard troops in advance, but local authorities, including Pelosi, failed to request them.
In a back-and-forth with Sen. Ted Cruz, Patel confirmed that Capitol Police repeatedly declined National Guard assistance and that the Sergeant at Arms, who reported to Pelosi and Schumer, said security help was unnecessary.
Patel also defended his qualifications after a tense exchange with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, calling attacks against him false and damaging to the FBI’s credibility. Despite the grilling, he left the hearing in high spirits, calling it “a fantastic day.”
Patel dismissed accusations of political bias as unfair, citing endorsements from over 300,000 law enforcement officers. He criticized Democrats for taking his past statements out of context to score political points, calling their attacks misleading.
He accused his critics of spreading false information and vowed that, if confirmed, he would ensure a nonpartisan FBI focused on the Constitution and equal justice.
