President Donald Trump’s FBI director nominee, Kash Patel, inched one step closer to confirmation on Tuesday after the Senate voted along party lines, 48-45, to advance his nomination.
All Republicans voted in favor of Patel on the key procedural vote, and lawmakers signaled that a final vote to confirm him will take place Thursday.
Amid the vote, some Republicans voiced their support for Patel, a controversial firebrand and former national security official who has vowed to curb what he describes as a politicized FBI.
“I’ve spoken to multiple people I respect about Kash Patel this weekend—both for and against. The ones who worked closely with Kash vouched for him. I will vote for his confirmation,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), an occasional swing vote, wrote on X.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), another centrist and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which was…
