Democratic Senator Peter Welch of Vermont told CNN of Patel's confirmation: "It's the end of the FBI as we know it. Patel is an instrument of Donald Trump. Donald Trump's policy towards the Justice Department and the FBI is retribution and Kash Patel has signed onto that full throat."

The Senate on Thursday narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as the FBI’s ninth director, installing a close ally of President Donald Trump and a staunch critic of the bureau to lead the country’s premier law enforcement agency.