U.S. Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director

U.S. Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed Kash Patel as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The upper chamber approved the nomination by vote of 51 to 49, with two Republicans joining all 47 Democrats in voting against Patel's nomination.

During Donald Trump's first presidential term, Patel served as chief of staff at the U.S. Defense Department, deputy director of National Intelligence, and senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council. After winning election in November 2024, Trump announced that he planned to nominate Patel as the next FBI director, intending to replace Christopher Wray, before Wray's term ends.

Wray later told bureau employees that he planned to resign at the end of the Joe Biden administration. Nominations to several key positions, including Secretary of State, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, Secretary of Homeland Security, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Transportation, and Attorney General, have been approved.