Despite Democrat Screeching, Years Of Hill Work Has Kash Patel Cruising Toward Confirmation

From Matt Gaetz to Pete Hegseth to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have faced major blowback and media opposition campaigns aimed at derailing their nominations.

But one pick conservatives were bracing for a knock-down, drag-out fight over is seemingly sailing toward confirmation despite early wailing from Democrats: would-be FBI Director Kash Patel.

Patel was the former Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Defense and rose to prominence after being a vocal critic of the Mueller investigation into “Russian interference” during the 2016 election, which turned up nothing but caused a major distraction during Trump’s first term.

Democrats viciously opposed the Patel pick, citing an “enemies list” from his book and his pledges to clean out the federal bureaucracy of disruptive and disloyal elements, but if the Senate is at all phased by it, it’s unnoticeable. Sources said Patel has been able to rise above the fray due to the legwork he’s put in with lawmakers in the years leading up to Trump’s second election.

A source close to Patel said his commitment to advancing the MAGA agenda drove him to continue cultivating relationships with Senate Republicans even while Trump was out of office. That singular focus paid off, and the work he put in now has him on the cusp of serving in a critical position in the second Trump administration he hoped would eventually arrive. (RELATED: Kash Patel Wants The FBI Out Of The Spying Game — Here’s Where He Could Start)

“I was aware of Kash Patel by reputation during the Trump administration, but really got to know him over the last couple of years. We’d often chat when he would swing through town. I found he had keen political instincts and was also just a delightful person to talk and strategize with,” Utah Sen. Mike Lee told the Caller.

“Long before his name was on the shortlist to lead the FBI, I knew he was a dedicated patriot who has experienced firsthand the corrupt bureaucracy we’re going to hold accountable in Trump’s second term,” the senator added.

Patel has met with more than a dozen senators since getting the FBI nod, and many have publicly come out in support of him. The Trump transition, Politico reported, expected more pushback to the FBI pick. But it hasn’t materialized, in part because senators already know Patel and what to expect from him in office.

Several key senators told the Caller that over the last three years they have cultivated a relationship with Patel, discussing national security and the America first agenda.

Working with Devin Nunes, Kash Patel was instrumental in dismantling the Russia Hoax.

He was the author of the famous memo that exposed how the FBI lied in FISA warrants to spy on Carter Page.

He exposed how the bogus Steele Dossier was funded by Hillary’s campaign and used…

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 1, 2024

“I’ve been following his career for a while since he was working with Devin Nunes and exposing the Russia Hoax and FISA abuse. We connected at a few events and have stayed in touch over the years. He’s come by my office and been a great sounding board on national security and beyond,” Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall told the Caller. 

Ahead of Trump’s announcement, Patel was floated to be in the running for a top role in the FBI or the Department of Justice. When Gaetz withdrew his name from the attorney general running and former Florida AG Pam Bondi was tapped to replace him, the noise about Patel to the FBI got louder.

The anticipated choice of Patel caused “shockwaves” – but only for a short time. One former official told CBS News that he was “by far the most dangerous pick.” NBC News wrote that he hosted a show for “a conspiracy-filled, far-right media organization,” the Epoch Times. Slate complained about Patel’s “terrifying” “enemies list.” (RELATED: James Carville Apparently Thinks All Indians Look Alike, Mixes Up Kash Patel With Daily Caller Publisher)

But one by one, senators pledged their support. And perhaps the strongest sign yet that Patel is likely to be confirmed came when his would-be predecessor, Chris Wray, resigned this month.

“Since I got to DC, Kash has been one of my go-to people to call with questions about defense or national security. His breadth of experience and handle on these critical issues is truly unmatched,” Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville told the Caller. 

Before Patel entered the Trump administration, he was known around the Capitol as a national security advisor and senior counsel for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. That experience has proven fruitful in building relationships with Congressional leaders over the past few years.

“His work to help uncover the FBI’s mishandling of the Russia collusion hoax, known as the Crossfire Hurricane investigation, make him uniquely positioned to begin a new day at the bureau, ensuring they can return to their number one mission of fighting crime and protecting the country,” a spokesperson for Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told the Caller.

Ahead of his appointment, Patel earned attention for speaking out against the weaponization of the surveillance state and recently called for a “24/7 declassification office.” He has previously proposed taking the FBI headquarters, shutting it down and turning it into a museum.

this kind of thing remains the bull case for Kash Patel: how many senior GOP officials are former public defenders (thankless work Patel did for 8 years in Miami)? Work echoed by a hostage rescue drive into Syria in summer 2020– when few in the world cared about Syria pic.twitter.com/XVz0LmbDLz

— Curt Mills (@CurtMills) December 22, 2024

“Kash’s drive to lead the FBI is deeply personal, rooted in his family’s story. His father fled a genocidal dictatorship where there was no law and order, seeking the safety and opportunity America provides,” Erica Knight, a spokesperson for Patel, told the Caller.

“He’s spent the last few years deliberately building relationships with senators, meeting with them, and preparing for this moment,” she continued.