Trump’s FBI Nominee Demolishes Dem Senator in Epic ‘Gotcha’ Moment
Kash Patel Slams Sen. Durbin’s Jan. 6 ‘Gotcha’ Question in Heated Senate Hearing
FBI director nominee Kash Patel drew attention during Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing after a tense exchange with Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D).
Despite sharing the spotlight with other Trump nominees, Patel’s sharp response to a “gotcha” question quickly went viral.
The question, posed by Durbin, targeted President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon over 1,600 individuals involved in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. Durbin asked Patel if America was “safer” following the pardons, particularly for those convicted of violence on Jan. 6.
Durbin’s question about whether these individuals would “be given an opportunity to come out of serving their sentences and live in our communities again?” sparked a fierce reaction from Patel, who accused Democratic senators of remaining silent while President Joe Biden pardoned a man convicted of killing two federal agents.
“I’ve advocated for imprisoning those that cause harm to our law enforcement and civilian communities,” he said, per Trending Politics. “I also believe America is not safer because of President Biden’s commutation of a man who murdered two FBI agents.”
“Agent Coler and Williams’ families deserve better than to have the man that at point-blank range fired a shotgun into their heads and murdered them released from prison. So it goes both ways.”
Patel referenced Biden’s controversial decision in the final hours of his presidency to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, a far-left activist convicted of the 1975 murders of FBI agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, according to Fox News. The two agents were gunned down in a South Dakota shootout.
The pardon, which had drawn criticism, was seen by many as a case of partisan favoritism.
In a further exchange, Durbin attempted to deflect, claiming that Pelletier had served 45 years and was 80 years old, now being sentenced to home confinement. Patel was not moved.
“He killed two FBI agents,” he firmly repeated.
The back and forth highlighted the ongoing tensions between Democratic and Republican senators regarding the pardons. While Democrats focused on the pardons from Trump, Republicans rallied around Patel’s rebuttals, with some finding his response to Durbin’s questioning an effective rebuttal.
The hearing, part of Patel’s nomination process to lead the FBI, also saw questioning on his history with vaccine detoxification supplements and a controversial video he posted. However, despite criticisms, Patel earned support from key Republican figures.
Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford noted Patel’s ability to differentiate himself from the media’s portrayal of him as an aggressive, divisive figure.
“There’s a social media, national media persona of who Kash is, and then there’s who he actually is,” he said, per the outlet.
Another prominent Republican voice supporting Patel was North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, who showed enthusiasm for Patel’s nomination. Tillis even brought bingo cards to the hearing, encouraging others to keep track of expected attacks on Patel, including terms like “Deep State” and references to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn also voiced strong support for Patel, accusing Democrats of feeling threatened by the possibility of his confirmation.
“Kash Patel is the leader we need to clean up the FBI,” she wrote on X. “It’s time to confirm him as FBI Director.”