The Senate voted 51-49 Thursday to confirm Kash Patel, a former counterterrorism prosecutor and staunch defender of President Donald Trump, to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined all 47 Democrats in opposing his nomination.
Republicans pressed ahead with the confirmation vote despite Democratic demands for an additional hearing to question Patel on an array of issues, including past threats to enact political retribution on Trump's enemies and his possible involvement in an ongoing purge of FBI personnel, which he has denied.
