Trump’s FBI and Intelligence Nominees Face Bipartisan Scrutiny in Heated Senate Hearings
Donald Trump and Tulsi Gabbard gesture as they attend a town hall event in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on August 29. Vincent Alban/Reuters
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump’s nominees for two top national security posts, Kash Patel and Tulsi Gabbard, faced intense scrutiny during their Senate confirmation hearings on Thursday, as lawmakers from both parties questioned their qualifications, past statements, and ability to serve objectively.
Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI Director, encountered a particularly combative hearing, where senators pressed him on his promotion of conspiracy theories and his calls for retribution against political opponents and the media. Gabbard, nominated for Director of National Intelligence, was similarly forced to defend her past advocacy for Edward Snowden’s pardon and her controversial ties to Syrian and Russian leaders.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) pointed to one of Patel’s most troubling responses when he was asked a fundamental question: who does the FBI work for? Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) voiced serious reservations about both nominees but singled out Patel’s nomination as especially concerning, told ABC News.
“I have serious concerns about his ability to do the job in an objective and fair way and not [be] driven by an ideological desire to go after people, including the media,” Hirono said. Patel, who has been a staunch Trump loyalist, pushed back, claiming that Democrats were “making up lies” to undermine his nomination. Hirono swiftly countered:
“Well, we are using his own words.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) went further, calling both Patel and Gabbard “dangerous.” “It’s unpleasant to be told we’re making up lies when we’re using his actual words and when we’re using the actual words of his Trump-appointed colleagues who work with him,” Whitehouse said.
“So, there’s a disconnect with his defense, which I think is for the TV and for Trump and the actual facts of the matter.” “Honesty is not the watchword here,” he added. Gabbard’s hearing also took a tense turn when Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) questioned how she would respond to an illegal order from Trump.
“I don’t believe for a second that President Trump would do anything to break the law,” Gabbard replied. Wyden pushed back, citing Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts in New York. “You know, that’s a constitutional question,” Wyden said, calling it “the ball game.” He described her answer as “very disappointing.”
He then issued a stark warning about the implications of confirming Patel and Gabbard to lead the nation’s security agencies. “This is constitutional lawlessness, let me use that word specifically,” Wyden said. “If they say we’re just going to blow off illegal orders.”
As the hearings concluded, skepticism remained high, with Democratic senators warning that Patel and Gabbard’s confirmations could put national security at risk. Whether they will have enough votes to be confirmed remains uncertain.
