Kash Patel hearing: FBI director nominee pressed on Jan. 6, conspiracy comments

In an exchange with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, Patel was repeatedly pressed over how he would approach politically sensitive investigations if confirmed as the FBI's next director.

Patel answered that the FBI director directly reports to the deputy attorney general, who is supervised by the attorney general.

Coons then further pressed Patel on how he would respond if an FBI line agent brought him a predicated case against someone politically favored by Trump, and the White House asked him to stand down.

"The line agents, the brick agents, who are trained to bring investigations on behalf of the FBI, will make that decision-making process, and they will only have my full support, so long as it upholds absolutely every value of the Constitution," Patel answered.

But Patel declined to go as far as his predecessor in the job -- former FBI Director Christopher Wray -- in saying that if he were ever improperly pressured by the White House to bring or drop a case, he would resign.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar continued to press Patel on past statements regarding a second Trump administration.

"I've looked at it, I've read this stuff. Yes or no ... did you say this, 'When Trump wins in 2024 and is in power in 2025, we can prosecute them,' referring to Justice Department officials, 'for an actual RICO statute violation, for criminally organizing the United States government to break the law to rig presidential elections.' Did you say that, yes or no?" she asked.

Patel refused to answer.

At the end of her questioning, Klobuchar clashed with the chairman, Sen. Grassley, over her line of questioning.

A clearly agitated Klobuchar declared to Grassley, "It is his own words, it is not some conspiracy. It is what Mr. Patel actually said himself. Facts matter."

Patel and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn, clashed dramatically over a selection of his past comments. He repeatedly responded to the questions claiming he can't respond to partial quotes.

Patel eventually erupted.

"If the best attacks on me are going to be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI," he said

But it's not clear how much what Klobuchar and other Democrats have been citing was taken out of context.

For example, Patel strongly denied that he published an alleged "enemies list" at the end of his book "Government Gangsters," published in 2023.

Klobuchar did not say it was an "enemies list," but Patel still responded, "That is a total mischaracterization," and described it simply as "a glossary in the back" of the book.

In fact, as ABC News has previously reported, the book identifies 60 current and former officials as "Members of the Executive Branch Deep State" -- people who the book called "corrupt actors of the first order."

[A]ll those who manipulated evidence, hid exculpatory information, or in any way abused their authority for political ends must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Patel wrote in his book.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. continued to press Patel in blistering terms over President Trump's sweeping pardons for Jan. 6 rioters.

The senator then pressed Patel directly, using quotes from past podcast appearances and memes posted on his social media profiles.

"Here's what this nominee himself has said about using his office to prosecute journalists: 'We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media. We're going to come after you, whether it's criminally or civilly.' Is that a correct quotation, Mr. Patel?" Whitehouse asked.

"In part," Patel ultimately answered.

Patel further sought to distance himself from a meme he previously re-shared on Truth Social showing him taking a chainsaw to his political enemies, claiming he "had nothing to do with the creation" of the meme.

Whitehouse then summed up, in scathing terms, what he argued Patel's nomination could mean for the future of the FBI and the nonpartisan enforcement of the law.

"There is an unfathomable difference between a seeming facade being constructed around this nominee here today and what he has actually done and said in real life when left to his own devices," he said.