Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick for FBI director, faced his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday.

Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee pressed Patel about statements he made in his 2023 book, "Government Gangsters," and whether he supported Trump's decision to pardon the January 6, 2021, protesters.

'If the best attacks on me are gonna be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI.'

Those against Patel's confirmation accused him of peddling "deep state" conspiracy theories, disrespecting law enforcement, and seeking to dismantle the FBI.

Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who introduced Patel, stated that he had created a bingo card for the hearing.

"Some may view this as an unserious caricature and not appropriate for this committee. Sadly, I consider it a serious caricature of what I expect to be witnessed today," Tillis explained. "I think we'll have words like 'enemies list' and 'deep state.' I've already Xed out four boxes in the opening statements alone."

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) asked Patel whether he believes America is safer after Trump issued pardons for January 6 defendants.

"Senator, America will be safe when we don't have 200,000 drug overdoses in two years. America will be safe when we don't have 50 homicides in a day," Patel responded.

"So you just won't answer the question?" Durbin asked.

Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) defended Patel, setting the record straight regarding presidential pardons.

"We've heard about the January 6 pardons. I think it's important that we remind people at the same time of some pardons by the previous administration," Grassley stated. "Thomas Sanders, a kidnapper who murdered a 12-year-old girl named Lexis and her mother, Suellen Roberts. Adrian Peeler, a Canadian drug kingpin who was convicted in the death of an 8-year-old boy and his mother."

Grassley also mentioned the pardon of Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of two FBI agents in 1975.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) had a meltdown during the hearing when her time expired and Patel had not answered her question about whether he advocated shutting down the FBI's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"Did you say that the FBI headquarters should be shut down and reopened as a museum of the deep state?" she questioned.

As Klobuchar's time ran out, Grassley moved to call the next senator.

"Could he just answer the question?" Klobuchar asked. "I deserve an answer to that question. He is asking to be head of the FBI, and he said that their headquarters should be shut down."

Patel responded, "If the best attacks on me are gonna be false accusations and grotesque mischaracterizations, the only thing this body is doing is defeating the credibility of the men and women at the FBI."

"I have been endorsed by over 300,000 law enforcement officers to become the next director of the FBI," he added. "Let's ask them."

Klobuchar snapped, "Mr. Chairman, I am quoting his own words from September of 2024. It is his own words. It is not some conspiracy."

"Facts matter," she declared.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!