President Trump's pick to lead the FBI faced his Senate confirmation hearing.
Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, faced members of the Senate Judiciary Committee in his confirmation hearing Thursday.
Patel, a staunch Trump ally, was the acting deputy director of national intelligence during the last year of Trump's first presidency. He has said it's his mission to "annihilate" the so-called "Deep State" of "unelected tyrants" inside government.
Among his supporters, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called Patel's career "a study in fighting for unpopular but righteous causes, exposing corruption, and putting America First."
In another exchange with Sen. Hirono, Patel declined to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election -- echoing the answer given by other Trump allies who have been questioned in their confirmation hearings.
"President Biden's election was certified. He was sworn in and he served as a president the United States," Patel said.
In an exchange with Sen. Mazie Hirono, Patel was questioned over a "supplement" he promoted to his followers that he claimed would act as a "detox" to rid them of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Patel pushed back, asking Hirono, "Senator, do you know of any individuals who died as a result of the vaccine? Because I do."
The nominee did not provide further details about his claim.
Hirono repeatedly asked Patel if he made money as a result of promoting the supplements, but Patel declined to answer the question directly -- referring Hirono to his financial disclosures provided to the committee.
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.
