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

Sen. Coons asked Patel to clarify controversial comments from a podcast interview with Steve Bannon in which Patel stated he believed the next leader of the FBI should empty out the bureau's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Patel, in his remarks to Bannon, said the FBI building should be made into a "museum" of the "Deep State."

Patel sought to water down the remarks, noting he was only hoping to make the point that large numbers of agents concentrated in the Capital region should be assigned to more offices in the interior of the country.

During questioning from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, Patel wouldn't unequivocally commit to ensuring that the FBI agents who worked on special counsel Jack Smith's cases against Trump won't be fired.

Blumenthal said Patel "failed" the first test to see if he would truly be apolitical.

"If you can't commit that those FBI agents will be protected from political retribution, we can't accept you as FBI director," the senator said.

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."