Washington: The American Senate controlled by the Republicans confirmed on Thursday to Kash Patel, a firm loyal that has threatened to persecute the political enemies of President Donald Trump, as director of the FBI, the main agency of application of the law of the country.
Patel, 44, whose nomination caused a fierce but finally useless opposition of the Democrats, was approved by a 51-49 vote.
The vote was divided into the party’s lines with the exception of two Republican senators, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who voted not to confirm Patel to head the Federal Office of Research of 38,000 stretch marks.
Patel tied the Democrats for their promotion of conspiracy theories, their defense of the pro-trump rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and their vote of eliminating members of an alleged “deep state” conspiring to oppose to the Republican President.
Democratic senator Dick Durbin, in a speech by the Senate who opposes Patel nomination, said it is “dangerously extreme extremely extreme” and that “he repeatedly expressed his intention to use the agency for the application of the most important law of our nation to retaliate against his political enemies. “
The Senate has approved all the Trump cabinet teams so far, underlining its iron grip in the Republican party.
Among them is Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed as head of spies of the Nation despite the past support to adverse nations, including Russia and Syria, and the Vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health.
Patel, in a statement about X, said he was honored to become the director of the FBI.
“The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, responsible and committed to justice,” he said.
“The politicization of our justice system has eroded public trust, but that ends today,” he added. “My mission as a director is clear: let the good police be police officers, and rebuild confidence in the FBI.
“And for those who seek to harm Americans, consider this warning,” he said. “We will hunt you in every corner of this planet.”
‘List of enemies’
Patel replaces Christopher Wray, who was appointed FBI head by Trump during his first mandate.
However, the relations between Wray and Trump became tense, and although he had three years in his 10 -year term, Wray resigned after Trump won the November presidential elections.
Son of Indian immigrants and former federal prosecutor, Patel, born in New York, served in several high -level positions during the first Trump administration, even as senior director of contributionism in the National Security Council.
There were burning exchanges at Patel’s confirmation audience last month when the Democrats presented a list of 60 supposed “deep” actors, all Trump’s critics were included in a 2022 book, whom he said he should be investigated or ” otherwise vilified. “
Patel has denied having a “list of enemies” and told the Senate Judicial Committee that he was simply interested in bringing offenders to the law.
“All FBI employees will be protected against political compensation,” he said.
The FBI has been in agitation since Trump assumed the position, and several agents have been dismissed or degraded, including some involved in Trump’s prosecution for trying to revoke the electoral results of 2020 and the mismanagement of classified documents.
Nine FBI employees have sued the Department of Justice that seeks to block efforts to collect information about the agents who participated in Trump’s investigation and the disturbances of the Capitol.
In their complaint, FBI agents said the efforts were part of a “purge” orchestrated by Trump as “politically motivated.”
Trump, on his first day at the White House, forgave more than 1,500 of his supporters who assaulted Congress in an attempt to block the certification of the electoral victory of Democrat Joe Biden.
