Patel has already had a warmer reception than previous nominees in the upper chamber, though many Republicans still want to research the pick.
WASHINGTONâPresident-elect Donald Trumpâs nomination of political ally Kash Patel to head up the FBI sent shockwaves through the capital, but itâs in the Capitol that his fate will be decided.
Several Republican senators arenât making any commitments yet, but Patel has already had a warmer reception than previous nominees.
As with other high-level executive appointments, Patelâs nomination will need to be approved by the Senate, where Republicans enter the upcoming Congress with a relatively comfortable 53 seats to Democratsâ 47.
For Patelâs nomination to be confirmed, he’d need to win all but three Republicans in the upper chamber, in which case then-Vice President JD Vance would presumptively cast a tie-breaking vote to push the nomination through.
But Patel, a longtime ally to Trump whoâs promised sweeping reforms to the FBI, will need to win the support of several crucial Republicans to get over the finish line.
A handful of namesâSens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and John Cornyn (R-Texas), among othersâhave come up again and again during discussions of Trumpâs nominees, as each has been known to break with their party on key votes related to social issues, gun rights, and nominees.
Initially, it was unclear if the opposition to Patel would rival the experience of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Trumpâs original pick for attorney general. Gaetz dropped out of the running due to what he perceived as insurmountable opposition among Senate Republicans.
Still, while many lawmakers have yet to make a commitment, Patel has already received a warmer welcome than Gaetz in the upper chamber, with many saying they plan to look into Patelâs background.
Cornyn didnât answer directly when asked by The Epoch Times if he supported Patelâs nomination.
âIâm meeting with him next week,â Cornyn said, adding he was âlooking forward to it.â
That was a common sentiment among many Senate Republicans.
Collins told The Epoch Times that she was also waiting for more information before making a decision on Patel.
âI donât know much about him at all, so Iâve got a lot of homework to do,â Collins said.
On Dec. 2, Murkowski also declined to weigh in on Patel or other nominees while speaking to reporters, saying she hadnât slept much the night before due to a flight.
However, Patel did get a boost from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), another lawmaker whoâs joined Democrats on some key votes.
Tillis said heâs âa presumptive yes.â
âHe and I happen to have a number of mutual acquaintances who say positive things,â Tillis said. âIâm going into it with a positive predisposition.â

Kash Patel, former Principal Deputy to the Acting Director of National Intelligence and former senior counsel to the House Intelligence Committee, in Washington on March 15, 2021. York Du/The Epoch Times
But even some of the more party-line Senate Republicans say that theyâre waiting to learn more.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) declined to answer when asked if heâd support the nominee but said he would âvisit with [Patel] personally.â
âI look forward to hearing what his goals are,â Boozman said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) seemed friendly to the nomination, but still wants to test Patel bona fides.
âKash Patel must prove to Congress he will reform & restore public trust in FBI,â Grassley wrote.
Some of the chamberâs most outspoken conservative Republicans, meanwhile, have already been enthusiastic in their support for Patel.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told The Epoch Times simply, âI like him.â
He linked his support to Patelâs promised reforms and past work to counter narratives claiming that Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
Later investigations debunked that narrative, an FBI scandal now known by the name âRussiagateâ among critics.
âKash Patel uncovered FBI Russiagate corruption and has the right experience to fix the FBI,â Hagerty said in a post on X. âItâs no surprise that the establishment in Washington is lining up to oppose someone who wants to change Washington.â
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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