Kash Patel Confirmed as FBI Director

Kash Patel was confirmed as Director of the FBI on Thursday in a 51– 49 vote.

The Details: The confirmation vote ended the three week long Senate confirmation hearing that started January 30 for Patel. Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke with their party and voted alongside Democrats to oppose the nomination.

How The Media Covered It: Coverage of the confirmation differed depending on the outlet. The Independent (Lean Left bias) framed the developments around concerns Patel will “carry out Trump’s bidding,” highlighting suspicions of political persecutions to come. The article references the Department of Justice (DOJ) request for information on agents involved in January 6 cases, connecting this to Patel’s book containing what has been called a “list of enemies.”  Other sources, such as The Daily Signal (Right), were less critical of the new Director of FBI, saying he was nominated by President Donald Trump to reform an FBI “which has been the subject of several whistleblower complaints” and is “under scrutiny for being politicized and weaponized.”