US Senate approves Mr. Kash Patel as FBI Director

Specifically, Mr. Patel was approved with a vote of 51-49. Two Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski along with all Democratic senators opposed Patel, but it was still not enough to prevent widespread support from the Republican Party.

Senators Collins and Murkowski expressed concerns about Patel's past support for President Trump, which could affect the FBI's law enforcement operations.

Patel's Republican supporters argue that he would reform an agency facing declining public confidence.

Meanwhile, Democrats strongly oppose Patel, arguing that his previous calls for retaliation against Trump's opponents make him unfit to lead the FBI.

Mr. Patel takes office as Trump-backed officials seek to reorient the FBI and Justice Department toward Mr. Trump’s priorities, challenging decades of independence.

Mr Patel has pledged that politics will not influence his leadership of the FBI, but his close relationship with Mr Trump has raised concerns from Democrats and many legal experts.

Mr Patel said he would strengthen the FBI’s role in combating illegal immigration and violent crime – Mr Trump’s top priorities – by “letting good cops do their jobs”. He also vowed to scale back investigations at the FBI’s Washington headquarters, which handles many intelligence, national security and public corruption cases.

Mr Patel is one of the most vocal proponents of the idea that a “deep state” within the government has sought to undermine Mr Trump. “The erosion of trust is clear,” Mr Patel wrote in a Wall Street Journal essay last month, referring to the FBI.

Cao Phong (according to CNN, NYT, LAT)